He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father.
Acts 1:4
The command to wait does not sound like fun. Jesus’ instruction was connected to receiving power. The disciples were to wait to “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). Jesus was not concerned that they would not go into “all the world;” He was concerned that they would go without power.
You would think the instructions to receive such an amazing gift would be to do something really amazing; however, this amazing gift was free. They simply needed to wait. Waiting and being inactivate are not the same thing. These men prayed, watched over their hearts, did the practical, everyday kind of stuff. The command was to stay in Jerusalem, not to stay in a certain chair in a certain room.
Waiting on the Lord is active. It is doing what is in front of you while your heart stays focused on the promise. Abraham waited twenty-five years before receiving the promised Isaac, but he still did some stuff. In fact, in order for Sara to “receive what was promised” they had to “act” together.
“Waiting” was the condition Jesus gave to the promise of the Father. When God gives a promise, He may give conditions with it. This is not earning the promise—it is receiving it. Say a generous person told you to be at their house at nine in the morning and they would give you a new car. They give you their address because they are merciful. If you show up at nine, do you deserve the car? No! Did you earn the car? No! The car was a gift entirely based on the person’s generosity. If you do not show up or show up at noon, would they be stingy and unmerciful if they did not give you the car? No!
Having to wait reveals some things about us. Waiting for a promise reveals how much we trust the promiser. Many people will pray, and then because they do not see an answer immediately, they move into doubt and disappointment. The time of waiting can reveal the level of trust in the relationship.
Waiting reveals. We wait for things we believe we need. I do not know anyone who walks intimately with the Holy Spirit who is not continually aware of their need for Him. We will wait for what we know we need.
Waiting is a fruit of the virtue of diligence. It is the slow, steady application of the power of God in our lives toward the promises of God. It takes diligence to wait. If you are powerless to move, you are not waiting; you are stuck. There is a big difference. Jesus commanded the disciples to wait.
Are there promises you have yet to see performed? Are you waiting or stuck? Are you doing what is in front of you to do while trusting in God to fulfill His promise, or have you been disappointed into inactivity? Are you meeting the conditions of the promise?