Reading Plan: 

Acts 1

Wait  

Author: Mellanie Alexander 

I don't know about you, but I really dislike waiting. I think in our Western culture, we are a society of busy people who are extremely impatient. We want it all, and we want it now. I'm guilty of this impatience for sure. If it takes more than five minutes in line at the McDonald's drive-thru, I find my patience grows really thin. Today, we are looking at a time when Jesus told the disciples to wait.   

In Acts Chapter 1, before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He ordered the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and WAIT for the promise of the Father (vs. 4). He ordered this ragtag group of disciples, who never seemed to quite fully grasp what Jesus was doing, to wait. Of course, they still didn't grasp what Jesus was doing. They expected Him to restore the Kingdom of Israel (vs. 6) and to do it right then and there. They wanted Jesus to exercise His power over the government, but Jesus wanted to give them a power greater than any government authority. After Jesus left them, they went back to Jerusalem and did just as He said - they waited.  

Waiting on God is hard. Can we just be honest for a minute and admit that? It's hard when we pray for an answer, and God doesn't seem to be forthcoming with the answer. Waiting can also be a thing of beauty if we actively keep seeking God, and we keep doing the next right thing. In the waiting, God can grow our faith. He can grow our trust in Him. He can show us parts of ourselves that need healing before He gives us the answer we are searching for.   

Waiting doesn't mean we just sit around and do nothing. Do you know what the disciples did while they waited? With one accord, they met together and devoted themselves to prayer (vs. 14). They chose a disciple to replace Judas (vs. 15-26). They just kept doing the next right thing while they waited for God's promise to be fulfilled.   

Waiting on God means taking action. We study His word. We pray fervently. We serve others by showing them the love of Christ through our actions. We practice being still and sitting in the presence of the One who holds the whole world in His hands...and we wait.   

God can teach us so much in waiting periods if we lean into Him and allow Him to grow us. When I seek Him wholeheartedly in the waiting, I experience so much joy and peace. I pray that as you wait for an answer from our Father, you also find peace in the waiting.    

Reflection: 

• Why is it so hard to wait on God? 
• What steps can you take this week to actively wait on God? 

Family Application: Promise of Power!  

Author: Tina Bryant  

• In Acts 1:4-7 before Jesus went to heaven, He promised the disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit and that believers would RECEIVE POWER. The promise Jesus gave His disciples is for all believers even all these years later! That’s pretty amazing. Have you ever wanted a superpower? What superpower would you choose? The power from the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to give us is better than any superpower that you can imagine. You may not be able to jump over tall buildings with one leap, fly, or have x-ray vision, but you can do something even greater. Power from the Holy Spirit helps you do way cooler things, like giving you the courage to share Jesus with your friends. 
• Sometimes promises can take a while to happen. What is the longest you’ve had to wait for a promise to happen? How do you think the disciples felt when their friend Jesus left and gave them the promise that the Holy Spirit would come in His place and give them power? Some of them may have been sad because their friend was leaving. Some of them may have been scared because they didn’t want their friend to leave. Some may have even been excited to meet this new friend - the Holy Spirit!
• It’s okay to be sad, scared, or excited! Everyone, even grown-ups, feels sad, scared, and excited. Do you know what the disciples did when they felt all those different feelings? In Acts 1:12-14, all of Jesus’ friends got together, prayed, and waited for their new friend, the Holy Spirit. 
• Prayer: Jesus, thank You so much for Your promises. We know that You always keep Your promises. Help us to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit today and every day. Give us the courage and power to share the awesome things You have done for us with our friends. Amen.