What God Expects

By: Dan C. Bailey

When God created man he "put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15). God has always expected certain things from mankind. Consider the following expectations of God.

1) God expects us to believe in Him.

Hebrew 11:6 -- "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

2) God expects us to trust in Him

Proverbs 3:5,6 -- "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

3) God expects us to obey Him.

Romans 6:16-18 -- "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

4) God expects us to worship Him.

John 4:24 -- "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

5) God expects us to serve Him.

Matthew 4:10 -- "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

6) God expects us to love Him.

Matthew 22:37 -- "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

7) God expects us to love the truth.

II Thessalonians 2:8-10 -- "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

8) God expects us to praise Him.

Hebrews 13:15 -- "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

9) God expects us to honor Him.

Proverbs 3:9,10 -- "Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

10) God expects us to live faithfully.

Revelation 2:10 -- "... be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

These are just a few things that God expects of mankind. His word is filled with many others. Let us all seek to be pleasing unto Him and to do His will daily. "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:25).