“Good things come to those who wait.” Do you know this aphorism? It raises two important questions for us: first, for what are we waiting? and second, how well do we wait? Some of us find ourselves in God’s waiting room today. Waiting is difficult for me. For you, too?
Imagine the disciples eating with Jesus and listening to him for forty days. They awakened every day and found Jesus was there. It must have been amazing. Remember though, they were from Galilee. Perhaps some of them needed to go home to check on family. Others might have been getting a little stir-crazy. If you are like me, you are always ready to go. Going is good. But sometimes we do well to wait and stay where we are. If the disciples had taken off right after the ascension, they would have missed the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.
For this reason, the Master told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised gift. I read about one who waited too late to send out Christmas cards. At the last minute, she bought a bundle of cards, addressed the envelopes to hundreds on her list, and sent them out. Only after she mailed them did she open the card she had sent and read, “This card is just to say, a little gift is on its way.” Uh oh!
Jesus never overpromised or underdelivered. He promised them the good gift of the Holy Spirit. John had baptized with water, but in a few days they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. God is such a great Giver. He cares enough to send the very best: he gives us himself in his Holy Spirit.
Isaiah captured it in 40:31, “You who wait on the Lord will renew your strength. You will rise up on wings like eagles. You will run and not be weary. You will walk and not faint.” Our gracious God himself comes to those who wait and he is always worth the wait. Abide in his promised power today. Soar. Run. Walk.
