Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.”
After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. As he was going, they were looking into the sky. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go. (Acts 1:7-11)
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment – or season. God gives us Scripture to reveal himself to us, teach us his principles, and equip us to live in his will. God speaks to us in many ways through his Word.
He gives us facts. The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide dates and times. These things are not for you to know. We can try to figure things out for ourselves. We can try to analyze the times and reasons for seasons and situations in our lives, but only God has the authority to decide such details. It’s clear we’re not to know everything that he knows. He gives us what we’re supposed to know. We should always be open to him giving us knowledge and wisdom and readily accept and apply what he gives us. What he doesn’t give us, we’re not supposed to have.
He gives us instruction. But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world. God tells us what we’re supposed to do. He gives us direction in and toward our purpose. God wants our steps to fit into the ones he has planned for us. He wants us to desire his will so intently that we will look for the way he has prepared and be bold enough to follow regardless of our trepidation or preferences.
He gives us reassurance. After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud hid him from their sight. As he was going, they were looking into the sky. We’re not perfect, and God knows we need his reassurance in our humanness. He provided many accounts of people who have been deeply devoted to him but not always responded in model ways. The apostles knew Jesus personally as a flesh-and-blood man. Jesus looked into their eyes, touched their shoulders, and taught them with his words and actions. He told them multiple times what would happen to him, yet their focus wasn’t on what he had just directed them to do. Their focus was on the immediate. We can relate. We want to see and touch proof. We don’t want to feel isolated. God knew we’d need reassurance.
He gives us conviction. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky?” God knows we need him to speak authority into our lives. Left to ourselves, we might think we can come to the right conclusions, but we’ll usually get off track, stay in one place, or run in circles. When God speaks through his Word, angels, visions, teaching, and prayers, he always speaks with authority. The Holy Spirit shares God’s truth with us. He speaks to us internally, so we don’t have to rely on external influences. He challenges us through difficult questions that help us realize where we are spiritually and what we need to do to grow into a better place. We can ignore the God’s voice, but we can never avoid his presence.
He gives us promise. Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go. We can have hope because of God’s promises. We never need to doubt what God says will happen, because he doesn’t contradict what he says and what he does. God’s promises might not be fulfilled in exactly the way or time we expect and want, but our expectations don’t change God’s promises. God will do what he says he will do – every word and every detail. When we are faithful, we will see the fulfillment of God’s promises, either on earth or in eternity.
We need God to accept the spiritual seasons in our lives. Only God has the perspective to give us exactly what we need when we need it. Only God knows how our past season has prepared us for this one. Only God knows what’s necessary in our present season to prepare us for the next one. Only God knows the details of people’s lives who prepared a legacy for us and those for whom we’re preparing a legacy. Only God knows how the details we know of and those we don’t are weaving together for his purpose.
There’s much that only God can do and be, but there’s much expected of us as well. We must seek him. We must trust him. We must know him. We must accept his guidance. We must wisely use his provision. We must love as he loves. We must serve as he models. We must become less so he can become more in our lives. We must accept that our lives here on earth are brief, and they are pointless without a relationship with him.
May you continue to recognize and accept your journey of God’s pure purpose. Jesus prayed for his followers before he was arrested and crucified for you and me. Let his words soak into you today. Let his words challenge you to live today giving all glory to God.
After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. Having finished the work you gave me to do, I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.
I showed what you are like to those you gave me from the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your teaching. Now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. I gave them the teachings you gave me, and they accepted them. They knew that I truly came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for people in the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And my glory is shown through them. I am coming to you; I will not stay in the world any longer. But they are still in the world. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be one, just as you and I are one. While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and only one of them, the one worthy of destruction, was lost so that the Scripture would come true.
I am coming to you now. But I pray these things while I am still in the world so that these followers can have all of my joy in them. I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth; your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. For their sake, I am making myself ready to serve so that they can be ready for their service of the truth.
I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given these people the glory that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.
Father, I want these people that you gave me to be with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, which you gave me because you loved me before the world was made. Father, you are the One who is good. The world does not know you, but I know you, and these people know you sent me. I showed them what you are like, and I will show them again. Then they will have the same love that you have for me, and I will live in them.” (John 17)