"Attitude of Expectancy

DEVOTIONAL

Mark 5:25–34 NRSV

“She said, ‘If I but touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ … He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’”

Opening Reflection

There are moments in life when hope feels risky. We’ve prayed before and didn’t see answers. We’ve trusted before and ended up disappointed. Over time, disappointment can teach us to lower our expectations—not just of people, but of God.

And yet, faith calls us to expect again.

The woman in Mark 5 had every reason to stop hoping. Twelve years of suffering. Twelve years of unanswered prayers. Twelve years of spending everything she had only to grow worse. Socially isolated, religiously excluded, and physically exhausted—she lived in a reality that constantly reminded her not to expect too much.

But something shifted when she heard about Jesus.

She didn’t have a conversation with Him. She didn’t receive a promise directly from Him. She simply decided that if Jesus was who people said He was, then even the smallest encounter with Him could change everything. That decision gave birth to what we call an Attitude of Expectancy.

Expectancy is not pretending life isn’t hard. It’s choosing to believe that God is still able, still present, and still working—especially when the situation suggests otherwise.

Devotional Thought

An Attitude of Expectancy is the quiet confidence that God can move, even when circumstances have not yet changed. The woman in the text spoke faith before she saw results: “If I but touch His cloak, I will be made well.” Her expectancy shaped her actions, her courage, and ultimately her outcome.

What makes this moment even more powerful is its timing. Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter. This woman’s healing happened in the middle of someone else’s emergency. While she received healing, Jairus received hope. Her faith became encouragement for someone else who was waiting on God.

This reminds us that expectancy is never private. How we trust God in hard seasons can strengthen someone else’s faith in their own waiting. When we speak faith, take faithful steps, and live like God is already at work, we become living testimonies to others who are struggling to believe.

God often works exceedingly and abundantly, not just by changing situations, but by transforming hearts—teaching us to trust Him beyond what we can see or predict. Expectancy doesn’t demand outcomes; it trusts God’s character.

If you are in a season where answers feel delayed, this devotional invites you to ask a deeper question:Are you willing to live like God is already at work, even before you see the evidence?

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you stopped expecting God to move because of past disappointment?

2. What would it look like for your words and actions to reflect faith instead of fear this week?

3. Who might be encouraged by watching how you trust God in your current season?

   
   

Prayer

Lord, help me to cultivate an Attitude of Expectancy. When disappointment tempts me to lower my faith, remind me of who You are. Teach me to speak faith, walk in trust, and live like You are already at work. Use my faith not only to strengthen me, but to encourage someone else who is waiting on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.