Today is Veterans Day in our country, and it’s a day to honor those who have served in our nation’s armed services.

I immediately thought of this verse in Proverbs, and how today is the perfect day to live it out.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:27‬ ‭NIV)

Ever veteran whom we honor lived out that verse. They stepped up and did something for our good when they could. Now, it’s our turn to do the same for them. It is our turn to act. We have the power to show honor and gratitude for all that they’ve done.

So today, thank a veteran. Buy her a cup of coffee, or pay for his meal. Don’t withhold good from those who didn’t withhold it from you.

I have a friend from back in the day who almost always did the same thing if he was in the back seat of a car you were driving. He’d reach up, put his hand over your eyes, and yell, “We walk by faith, not by sight!” It made for some pretty intense moments — seconds in reality, but what felt much longer to everyone in the car. Side note, this isn’t the best way to practice that verse, although it is a great story to point out something in it that is obvious and yet, often overlooked.

…for we walk by faith, not by sight… (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NASB, emphasis mine)

We’re supposed to walk by faith. Not run, or sprint, or skip, or, as in the earlier story, drive. The faith life has to be one that moves a little slower because we don’t know where we’re going. We’re holding a hand that is leading us, following a voice that is calling us.

Some versions translate this word as “live” because its meaning encompasses a way of life, a rule of conduct for people in the Way. We are intentional. We are disciplined. We aren’t running all over the place like chickens with their heads cut off, frantically trying to figure out what is going on in our lives.

Translation? Chicken Little wasn’t a follower of Jesus.

Perhaps one of the greatest witnesses we could offer our breakneck, out-of-control culture is an example of a life lived at a slower pace. A life that walks by faith instead of running in panic.

Speed matters because speed can kill, and slowing down may be just what we need to breathe life back into our relationships with Jesus.

When it comes to expectations, it seems that people are all over the map on how to set them. Some have unrealistically high expectations that no one could ever meet, and then there are the ones who seem to offer sage advice to the contrary:

“If you expect nothing, you’ll never be disappointed.”

It sounds so good, doesn’t it, except who wants to live a life expecting nothing? Not me!

The wisdom of the Bible speaks to this conundrum better than the wisdom of man.

The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:28‬ ‭NASB, emphasis mine)

There is so much in the original Hebrew language into which we can anchor our souls. The word for “hope” is “expectation” and the word for “gladness” literally means “exceeding joy.”

So, the realistic expectation of the righteous (that’s us if we’re followers of Jesus — check out 2 Corinthians 5:21, y’all!) is exceeding joy.

You can lock that one in, take it to the bank, and count on it. It may not seem like there’s exceeding joy — or even a little joy — at the moment, but if you’re walking with and trusting in Jesus, you won’t be disappointed forever. Exceeding joy is coming, so get your hopes up and keep expecting. It’s one of the most realistic expectations we can have as believers.