“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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” Acts 1:4-5
The disciples were told by Jesus to wait for the promise of the Father to be fulfilled. They were told to wait in a specific location until a specific event had occurred ? the reception of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised it wouldn’t be very long, but He never gave them a definite time. That meant waiting.
Instead of questioning, complaining, or worrying, the disciples decided to spend the waiting period in prayer. However long the wait was, they trusted Jesus to keep His word. He did! The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples soon thereafter.
Waiting on God’s timing can be very difficult, especially when you aren’t given a definite time period of when the waiting will be over. This passage in Acts gives us hope though. We know that when God makes a promise, He keeps it. We don’t need to worry or be anxious that it won’t be fulfilled because it will. And we can learn during the waiting period through the practice of prayer. Prayer reveals our dependence upon God and bolsters in us faith that He will do what He says He will do.
So if you’re waiting on a promise given to us by God, He will surely fulfill it for you. The key is to be patient and pray in the waiting.
Dear Lord, help us to take comfort in your Word, knowing that you cannot lie, and that you always fulfill your promises, just as the Scriptures say. Please help us to understand that. Amen.
