Hope, Expectation?

This morning in my mind I was trying to sort out the difference between hope and expectation. It used to be that children "hoped" for certain things at Christmas. Now we find that they "expect" certain things and will get indignant if they don’t receive it. So is there a difference between hope and expectation?

As I ran reference on some scriptures, I found that many times the words are used interchangeably. This led me to look back on how I have regarded God. Many is the time that I hoped for things and would pray diligently for them. When they failed to occur, after a time I would kind of feel as if what I had "hoped" for was not in the will of God and many times I would just give up.

There were other times when I actually "expected" God to do something, and would not take down. I did more than "hope" for money to pay the rent, buy the food, provide gas money. What was the difference? Some things were for more than me, they were for my children’s sake. I had more confidence placing a demand on God for the things I needed for them, than I did for myself.

While I’m still on the fence with certain things, I have decided to be more forthright in praying the scriptures. Here are some that are going to be my calling cards to God in 2019:

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon. Psalm 31:24 (MSG)

For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15 (KJV)

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 43:5 (KJV)

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Philippians 1:20 (KJV)

Maria