I read through the first 2 chapters of Acts today, and the words of Jesus in Acts 1:7-8 struck me, words to inspire patience, persistence, and faith: "He said to them: ' It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. / But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ' " When I'm waiting for God to fulfill His promises, I often feel like asking Him when they will be accomplished, as though it would be easier to wait if I knew how long I would be waiting, but that's not true is it? How often have I said, or heard, "I can't wait 'til Christmas!" or "I wish it was Friday already!" or even "Can't the microwave heat my food faster?" Patience is not a result of knowing the timeline, it's developed through practice, regardless of the timeline. Patience is a result of faith. When we don't trust that a certain outcome will take place, we worry about it. When we trust that the outcome is certain, or at least that the God who holds the outcome is certain, we can be more patient as to the timing. Faith is the connection between patience and persistence. As we persist in our faith in a very faithful God, our patience will grow. In the book of Acts, as in our experience, it takes time, but we see God follow through on His promises and prove Himself faithful. In Acts chapter 2, we see the fulfilment of God's promise that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them, and ever since then, up to this present day, the promise that they would be His witnesses has been, and is being, fulfilled. In fact, this very weekend we bore witness to the resurrection of Jesus.
So, for those of us patiently waiting for something to be fulfilled in our lives, God may not tell us when it will be fulfilled, but we can trust Him to give us the power to do what He has called us to in the meantime.
No comments:
Post a Comment