Easter has passed and I’m finding myself still drawn to thinking on the events. Jesus is resurrected to life, presents Himself to a few, and then what happens?
In the Book of Acts, Luke gives us a glimpse:
“To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3, NASB)
For forty days, Jesus came and went. He did not stay continually with the apostles. His purpose was to prove to them that He was indeed alive.
In one of the times that He was with them, and eating with them, Jesus gave them a command:
“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised …” (verse 4)
Jesus commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, for they had been coming and going. They were to stay put and await the Father’s promise.
“Wait” and “await”, two words which give us the impression of staying in a posture of expectation. It implies staying put, stationary as you anticipate an answer or occurrence.
Waiting is not easy and takes concentrated effort for we are most often impatient, wanting our answers to come quickly.
But what if we were to be like those first apostles? What if we became people who waited for the Lord to respond with answers or guidance?
In the waiting, God will lead and teach us.
“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.” (Psalm 25:5, NASB)
In the waiting, we gain what we lack.
“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:31, NASB)
“As we trust God, He enables us to soar during a crisis, to run when the challenges are many, and to walk faithfully in the routine day-to-day demands of life. Walking in the ordinary pressures of life can be much more difficult that flying like an eagle in times of crisis.”
(from The Wiersbe Study Bible, page 1037)
God knows how we feel when we are exhausted beyond ourselves. He knows that in ourselves, we will run out of strength and become faint. But we can trust Him for all that we need in times of difficulties.
“Waiting for God is not laziness. God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.” (G. Campbell Morgan)
May we be like those first apostles and wait on God.
Wait for His Word, for His promises, for His guidance, for His answers.
Waiting on God will prepare us for what is to come next.
Fear is not a respecter of persons and will slip in by whatever means it can. “The good news is that you have the power, through the name of Jesus Christ, to kick that uninvited evil guest to the curb and right off to the abyss where he rightfully belongs.” Linda Stoll shares her wisdom and encouragement in her post “Let’s Kick Fear to the Curb” HERE.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
Working on our capacity to wait for wisdom and guidance is a spiritual discipline most of us dislike (including me), but it makes for a better life when we learn to practice waiting instead of jumping to hasty decisions without thinking them through. Thanks for sharing your insights and for hosting us, Joanne.
This truth is priceless because certainly, waiting is not at all passive. Waiting is what Perseverance looks like!
Waiting is not easy, and it is not passive. I love Michele’s description that “Waiting is what Perseverance looks like!” Joanne, thank you for these reminders, and that our strength comes from God. Without Him, we would not be capable of obedience to Him. Blessings to you! xo
Waiting is an active heart posture, Joanne.
Great truths about waiting, Joanne. Too often we think about waiting as a time when we drum our fingers on the table impatiently. But waiting on God is the absolute opposite.
Oh My, Joanne, waiting is so hard sometimes. I find I have a terrible time waiting for wisdom, yet it’s in God’s wisdom that provides the peace I so desperately need!
Waiting is the hardest thing for humans to do Joanne. But it’s oh so wise to do so, especially waitng upon God for His direction in our lives.
Blessings sweet friend,
Jennfer
Waiting sure isn’t easy for sure. I like to think that I wait well for prayers to be answered. Sometimes I find myself asking, do I wait well? I wait for Him in expected anticipation for His return, indeed.
Patience is not my middle name. Yet, to live as God directs, I must learn to wait. Thanks for the reminder.
Joanne. I am not fond of waiting. But wait we must, as long as we live. And we either learn to wait patiently, trusting in God’s timing or ways, or we wait anxiously, always trying to figure out how to make the wait go faster. I know which one I’d rather do, though it often isn’t easy. Hugs, friend.
As I read your post, I thought about my adopted mama and how much the little French woman from Chicopee, Massachusetts, so loved Disney World. One of my favorite memories was when I brought my new bride Diane down to meet Mom and Dad in Florida. It has been many years since Diane had been to Disney, so the season ticket holders hauled us to Disney for the day. My memory if of how my then-aged mama would be 100 yards ahead of us, waving her arm to say, “Come on, come on already, you don’t want to miss this!” She was always way ahead of us. I find myself doing that with God sometimes, “Come on Lord, catch up please.” It sometimes takes me a while to understand why He isn’t. It’s because He wants me to go in a different direction, letting Him lead my life. Great post, ma’am.