Acts 12:11 says,
And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
The word expectation in the Greek is prosdokia. The Greek root prosdokaō means “to watch toward, to look for, expect” (pros, “toward,” dokeo, “to think:” dokao “does not exist”), is translated “expecting.”1
Hebrews 11:1 says,
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Simply put, the carnal expectation comes by sight and what is seen with the eyes. This expectation is external, whimsical, and fragile. If an event changes such as Peter being released from prison then the expectation is not lasting.
People put expectation or carnal hope into a slot machine, stock market, exercise (which is good for you, but is not true hope), relationships, food, intellectualism, philosophy, success, and the list goes on.
What did Paul say in Phil. 3:7-8 ?
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ”
Spiritual expectation is rooted and originates by grace through revelation of God’s Son. The revealed truth comes by grace which enables hearing, then hearing the quickened word. This quickened word creates faith. Hope hinges on faith. God’s hope is not of this world. It is inherently disseminating to the one possessing hope or rather being possessed by hope. This hope is supernatural. In this spiritual hope, there is always expectation of a good report, healing, resurrection, deliverance, wholeness, peace, mercy, and so on.
Christ is the hope of glory in us! Col. 1:27
He is the hope of our calling, Eph. 1:18
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