"Breathless Expectation"

I picked up a book at the Evolve conference last week by Mark Batterson titled, In A Pit With A Lion On a Snowy Day. I've been using it as a devotional book each morning. If you haven't read this book you need to get it! Chapter 5 is called "Guaranteed Uncertainty" and the Holy Spirit really worked on me through the words Mark wrote. He starts the chapter with a quote from Oswald Chambers, "To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways; we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation." That really made me think...am I really certain of God...so certain of God even though I don't know what will come about by the end of the day? And, is that a sad feeling or feeling of incredible anticipation for what God will do? Life should be lived in "breathless expectation" of God. I should be so certain of God that I live in anticipation, like the song says by Steven Curtis Chapman, "This is the great adventure." But, if you're like me, you don't always live that way. Even though I say I'm certain of God I tend to live not in breathless expectation but more in acute anxiety. But God in His grace keeps teaching me to trust Him and He continues to remind me that He loves me even when I'm not living in "breathless expectation". But that is where I want to live. I started out this day not living in breathless expectation. I really felt down for some reason. You ever have those days when you just can't seem to get going? Then God's grace showed up and reminded me that I can be certain of Him. I had to go to the Alltel store to get a replacement phone for my daughter. I thought I was going to have to pay $165 bucks but ended up getting one for free. Then our realtor called and said she had 4 calls today about our house. She said that she hadn't had four calls about any house recently and that the prospects for renting it looked good. God is in the business of pulling off what seems impossible...He keeps graciously reminding me. So, why not just live in "breathless expectation"? I'm learning that's the way to really live.

Duane