Go: A 40-Day Journey To The Never ReachedSample

The Time In Between 

Waiting is hard. We aren’t the first to experience the frustration of waiting. After Jesus rose, he instructed his disciples:

“Wait for the gift my Father promised” (Acts 1:4 NIV).

Jesus died, conquered death, and before leaving for heaven, told them to wait in Jerusalem for an unspecified amount of time for an unknown event to occur. These guys had laid down everything to follow Jesus. (That feels oddly familiar.) Then, after his resurrection, when they were most enthused, Jesus told them to wait. (I relate to that, too). Imagine how it felt to be commanded to wait when what you really wanted to do was go tell the world amazing news.

I imagine it felt something like going to missions orientation, committing to lay down your former life, getting pumped to take the gospel around the world, and then going home and spending the next year raising your budget. Or like raising your budget to go to your host country and spending the next year in language school. It might have felt like finally learning the language and then spending the next year doing whatever grunt work is asked of you to build relationships with the locals.

So why does God get us pumped up to do what he asks and then bid us to wait after we answer the call? Maybe it’s because we need something more than passion. Maybe something happens in the time in between that doesn’t happen at any other time.

The Holy Ghost could have come immediately. Pentecost could have happened the moment the apostles gathered in the upper room. And yet something happened in the waiting. No, not with God. He isn’t slow. Think of David or Joseph; something seems to happen within those who wait.

We’re waiting, but God—is doing something. Perhaps we hear him more clearly while waiting. We seek him more fervently in the delays. We respond more readily in the time in between. 

Go Wait

Next time you are inconvenienced, have to wait, or your plans are upended, spend the time talking to God. Ask him to give you patience and to use you. Then listen for his voice and follow his leading.

Pray for Never Reached People Group: Vanuatu’s Northern Sa

Ask God to raise up intercessors with a heart for the Northern Sa.