Acts Chapter 1: Verses 6-7 (NIV-UK)
Then they gathered round him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
John Chapter 18: Verse 36 (NIV-UK)
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
In their excitement at Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples began to make assumptions about what was going to happen next, and they wanted Jesus to spell out for them what would happen next. But Jesus had already told them that His Kingdom was not as they expected it to be, and the resurrection hadn’t changed that. He explained to them that there were certain things, plans and timescales that they didn’t need to know. They would have to trust that the Father had everything in hand and knew exactly what He was doing. They shouldn’t let their enthusiasm run away with them.
When we are given a calling or a promise from God, it’s really easy to want to have every last detail and timescale mapped out for us. Sometimes, God is gracious, and does that. At other times, He might reveal little by little, and there are other times we have to wait until He says, “Now.” We might not know how everything is going to work out, but we too can trust that God does. Sometimes we just have to be patient and wait for the nudge from the Holy Spirit telling us that the time is now. Sometimes it is hard to be obediently patient, but often that’s what God is trying to teach us.
Dear Lord,
Its reassuring to know that plans and timescales for Your work are in Your hands. Help me not to become impatient and try to work things out for myself. You don’t need a helping hand. You need me to be obedient. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.