ק Qoph145 I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord,  and I will obey your decrees.  146 I call out to you; save me  and I will keep your statutes.  147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;  I have put my hope in your word.  148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,  that I may meditate on your promises.  149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;  preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws.  150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near,  but they are far from your law.  151 Yet you are near, Lord,  and all your commands are true.  152 Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever. REFLECTIONSWritten by Josh CosciaYou might have heard of the name William Carey. A missionary from the late 1700’s who served in India. In 1792, William Carey spoke to the Baptist Associating in Nottingham, England. In this sermon he used the now often quoted phrase, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” Carey passed away in 1834. By that time he had spent 41 years in India without any temporary leave. I wonder, is the first part of Carey’s quote appropriate for us to say? Can we ‘expect’ of God? Also, what leads someone to commit 41 uninterrupted years of their life to serve Him overseas?Two things strike me from this short part of the Psalms. The first is the confidence with which the author approaches God. He calls out to God for help, then states ‘answer me, Lord.’ He calls out again, ‘Save me’. So much expectation. Why? He could approach God with confidence because of His love and promises. This love is bound to his never changing moral character and laws which are established forever. When we call out to God for help, do we have complete faith in His promises, love and law? However, we should be wary not to expect God to give us all the desires of our heart. Our expectations of God are not requests made ‘far from the law’ (v150) as the wicked do. They are requests established in God’s word (v151-152).Also, let’s not make the mistake of only expecting from God. Knowing this confidence, we must obey his law. We must put our hope in him. The author responds to his own calls with words of action. ‘I will obey your decrees.’ I will keep your statutes.’ ‘I have put my hope in your word.’ For William Carey, that action was to heed God’s call to mission. What is it for you? Pray that God will give you an unearthly confidence in Himself and that it would spur you to attempt great things in His name.    ABOUT THE AUTHORJosh is part of the Bossley Park congregation. He is a Year 2 teacher by trade. When he's not repeating instructions for the millionth time, you might find him on his bicycle or lazing in front of his computer.