City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:4-5

Reflection

He ordered them. . . to wait. 

I don’t know anyone who likes to wait. When we want something, we want it now.  When we are hungry, we want to eat now. When we are thirsty, we want something to drink now. And when we pray for something, we want God to provide it now.

So, I’m curious about what the disciples felt when Jesus told them to wait. When Jesus said they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now, I wonder if any of them asked, “How many days is ‘not many’?” No one likes to wait. Yet, He ordered them to wait. 

When it comes to wanting things from God, waiting is difficult because we know God is sovereign. This means He has the power to do anything He wants. So, we wonder why He doesn’t use His power to give us what we want when we want it. The scripture above answers the question of why waiting is necessary.

The disciples had to wait because God’s plan was to pour out the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Pentecost eventually became associated with God giving the law through Moses. In Acts 2, God would be writing His law on the hearts of His followers (Joel 2:28-29; cf. Jeremiah 31:33).  

Pentecost was also the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest. In Acts 2, God would be bringing in the first fruits of the gospel harvest—3,000 new believers (Acts 2:41). It was powerful symbolism God wanted forever etched into history. So, He ordered them to wait.

Application

God still has a plan for the earth, and we each have a place in that plan.  So, He asks us to wait. 

I can live with that. 

Prayer

Lord, please give me the grace to wait when You ask me to wait. Amen.