Wait for Him

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;" (Acts 1:4)

The Lord instructed His disciples to wait. Wait for what? Wait for who? They were to wait for the Holy Spirit, who would come upon them and take up residence in them and among them. The Kingdom they were to receive would not manifest around them, but in them. Only then would they be fit to be witnesses to Him, to make up His Church, and to show the world His glory. They could not earn or buy the Kingdom. They could not discover or invent it. They could not imagine or reimagine it. They simply had to wait for it, and wait they did.

You, too, must wait! 

Many have gone out into ministry without waiting, only to find that they do not have the "stuff" it takes to endure the difficulties and complete the work. No man or woman is sufficient for the task apart from the commission and power of the Holy Spirit. Oh, we can do church, preach, meet, and perform all the duties and tasks one might expect of a minister or a ministry on our own —  and there is more than enough dead religion in the world to prove that point.

If the Lord is going to work through us, we must first wait, receive the Holy Spirit, and then go forward in His strength. Jesus will give us the power to do what He commands, and that power is ours in the Spirit, and in the Spirit alone. 

We may not like to wait, and we may not want to wait, but woe to us if we don't. 

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord! (Psalms 27:14)

 

Let's Pray - Lord, may I not move until I am filled and sent by Your Holy Spirit. Then I will be a witness to Your glory and grace. Thank you for every opportunity to bless Your name. Amen.