Waiting On God - The One Year At His Feet Devotional
Waiting on God
Read: Acts 1:4-9
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.”
Acts 1:4
“You will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
“A holy, joyful expectancy is of the very essence of true waiting.”
—Andrew Murray
IN WORD At times, being a disciple is confusing. Jesus may tell us on one occasion not to take with us a purse or bag (Luke 10:4), and on another occasion to take a purse and a bag (Luke 22:36). We are told that we cannot find our life without losing it, and we cannot become great without being a servant. The gospel abounds with paradoxes and context-specific instructions.
Here the disciples are told to stay in Jerusalem—and also that they will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. What should they make of this ambiguity? They are looking for the kingdom of God, even willing to march into service; they are looking for guidance. And Jesus gives them virtually no information to go on. “Wait.” “It is not for you to know.” All they are told is to see what God does.
IN DEED Often we look for God’s direction in a matter—a career choice, a business decision, or maybe a relationship issue. We are willing to act. We’ll do whatever He says. We just need to know what it is. We don’t hear from Him, and then we grow impatient. And just when it seems that God has left us in a state of perpetual ambiguity, He acts. We were to wait and watch because, like the disciples, we were yet unequipped.
Waiting is perhaps the most difficult aspect of a believer’s relationship with God. Our culture emphasizes speed, efficiency, and instant gratification. We pray and then wonder at God’s “silence” when His response isn’t immediate. We forget the stories of Joseph, Moses, and many others who spent years in preparation for God’s timing.
When we find ourselves impatient and directionless, we must remember that all of His work is done on His initiative and that He takes time to prepare us for it. Like the disciples, we are to wait and watch.
