Cindy Powell

Tomorrow morning I’ll be sitting on a plane headed to Israel. My heart is always filled with excitement when I go to Israel — but this time is different. This time my heart is also filled with something else …

EXPECTATION.

In fact, I have great expectations.

But this isn’t just about Israel. For me personally, Israel does play a huge role in my life, my destiny and my calling. But this isn’t just about Israel …

Because this isn’t just about me.

It’s also about you. It’s about us.

It’s about him.

It’s about life. It’s about this season. It’s about the future. It’s about faith, hope and love. It’s about his promises being fulfilled.

It’s about his kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven. 

I can’t tell you why I feel such profound expectation, I just do. Sometimes I just know stuff — I sense stuff — I feel stuff. Been this way since I was a kid. And no, I haven’t suddenly taken leave of my senses and failed to notice the pain that is running rampant throughout the world. And no, I don’t believe life will suddenly be filled with only rainbows and butterflies. If anything, my experiences — and those of many others — seem to indicate that darkness is increasing in many areas. But I also know this …

Into the darkness, a great Light has come.

And I know that Light lives in us. And I know that more and more people are finally beginning to awaken to the glorious and terrifying implications of that reality.  As a result many are  beginning to truly  understand — I mean, really understand — what it means to “let their light shine.”  That fills me with hope …

And great expectations. 

For me, many of those hopes and expectations are linked inextricably to Israel. For you, they may be linked to another nation, another city, another cause …

Or even your own family. (Actually there is probably some truth in that one for all of us.)

Wherever your passion and purpose lies, it’s time to arise and shine. It’s time to awaken from our slumber. It’s time to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of us.

It’s time for great expectations.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” –Isaiah 60:1-3