May 6, 2010, Acts 1

Key Verse:

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

(Acts 1:7-8)

Central Truth:

We aren’t supposed to figure out just what God’s doing in our lives. We are supposed to trust Him, because we CAN.

WHEN ? WHERE ? HOW ? WHY ?

“How much longer until summer, Mommy?” “When are we going to their house?” “How many more days until my birthday?” “When we finish this, can we….?”

Ummm. Hold on, let me process all of your questions ....

Do you ever hear these pleading questions from your children? It seems like every day I answer some form of these. Jake, our oldest who is six, is very much a “need to know” kind of kid. As long as he knows for sure how long or when or how or why, he’s okay with waiting. But I’ve found there are many, many… way more than he likes, times that I just don’t have a definitive answer. Some things we just have to wait and see. This frustrates him greatly, and well, his frustration often frustrates me!

As I read this passage from Acts 1, I see myself in Jake…how God must view my “need to know” so often. I want to know when, how, why, where, and then I can “settle”. But God is clear that it is “not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (vs.7). The disciples were wondering if Jesus was going to restore the kingdom to Israel and quickly learned that’s not for them to know.

How many other things do we want to know about God’s plan? So many. But we don’t. And it’s not because God wants to be some control-freak and not let me in on His plan. It’s because He loves me and knows what’s best for me. Aren’t there times when we just tell our children what they NEED to know for that time? Because all of the information might be overwhelming, inappropriate, fear-inducing, or the time is just not right yet.

There have been times in my life I’ve thought,“I’m really glad I didn’t know that was coming.” Fear and dread would’ve overtaken me. He promises that the Holy Spirit will give us power and that He is charting out our course for our very best.

So I can rest in Him, knowing that He hears and knows all of my questions and that He also knows what is best for me. I love the quote I’ve heard many times, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.” Ah, the peace we’d find if we did that.