The Commission: A 4-Day Devotional With CAINSample

Day Two: Change-Induced Beginnings

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

—Acts 1:7-9

Goodbyes are hard, aren’t they? Kids grow up and leave home. Friends move away. And sometimes people we love pass away. Those kinds of life events mark an end to something special. They bring significant changes, and we don’t typically like changes we didn’t choose. Some of us avoid change at all costs.

The thing is, every goodbye, every end that brings change to our lives, is also a beginning—we just have to find it and embrace it. That’s what Jesus wanted His disciples to know in Acts 1, right before He left earth and ascended to heaven. Jesus' “goodbye” marked the end of an amazingly special time in their lives and the coming of significant changes they hadn’t chosen or wanted. But it wasn’t the end. His story certainly wasn’t over, and neither was theirs. In fact, they were about to begin a season of life that, in some ways, would prove to be even greater (John 14:12-13).

Like the disciples in Acts 1:6, we often approach our endings and the impending changes they bring with one thing in mind that we would like God to do. We want Him to help us and our kids. We want Him to provide friendships and things to do to fill the void. We want Him to make up for the loss in some way. And God responds to us graciously, but His Word always redirects us to His mission. We have a purpose, and He has a plan. We are to be His witnesses and share the testimony of what we have seen and heard in Christ in our everyday context and even around the world. Thankfully, He did not leave us on our own to figure out how to do that. He has given an extraordinary gift to each person who trusts in Christ—the life-giving and life-changing power of His Spirit. Whether we are going across the street or around the world, God has filled us with His Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. Are you ready to begin?

Reflection

· You have a purpose and God has a plan. In your own words, what are that purpose and plan?

· What is an “end” that needs to take place in your life for you to truly begin to walk in the Spirit’s power? How does Acts 1:7-9 speak to you about that?

· Thank Jesus for the gift of His Holy Spirit so that no goodbye in this life is ever truly an end to His plan and purpose in your life. Thank Him for new beginnings and ask Him to help you learn to rely on His Spirit as you seek to live out His commission each day.