Nougat 22

Can you imagine listening for God’s direction, and instead of ‘Go’, at a pivotal point in our lives; God says ‘Wait’? What would you do? Much to think about as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Acts 1:4 CEVDCI

[4] While he was still with them, he said: Don’t leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do.

Hearing God’s Wait

The disciples were uncomfortable: Jerusalem was not the safest place for them to be. Although Y’shua had risen from the dead, those who tried to kill Him and His ministry were also alive. They had no guarantee that they wouldn’t be next. Moreover, with Jesus’ death; He wasn’t there with them as He had been before. And the disciples may even have realised that as Spirit, Y’shua would not be with them for much longer in any format. In fact, John 16:5-7 tells us that they had been given due notice by Y’shua before His death. So it would not have been surprising if the disciples were preparing to leave Jerusalem – for good.

Self-Check

When the going gets tough, are we inclined to remain in place, or seek solace in the tried and true?

Deeper Dive

Instead of being given the go-ahead to leave for the comfortable and known, the disciples were told to remain in Jerusalem. Since it came directly from Y’shua’s mouth to them, they did not doubt that they were hearing from God. But even with the hearing, it wasn’t a comfortable word. Staying in place, albeit under Y’shua’s directive, came with the potential for uncertainty and danger. Leaving Jerusalem offered security and potential employment.

Although we already know how the story ends, at this point the disciples were unaware of what would come next. They only knew that Y’shua says they should wait there for God’s promised Spirit. They had to make the judgment call on whether they would trust what Y’shua promised even though they knew not what that would entail. What they did know was that it could be dangerous, even with God’s Spirit. Y’shua guaranteed trials and sorrows (see John 16:32-33) as well as trials in which their only defence would come through God’s Spirit (see Luke 12:12).

If we stop at the lives of the disciples as hearers of the Word, then we have missed the point. In applying Y’shua’s instructions to our lives we realise that we also are expected to remain or go forth as instructed by Y’shua.

Siblings, hearing God is not always about financial prosperity or a clear ‘thus saith the Lord’. We might not always enjoy what God is instructing us to do. And though it is beside the still waters, the danger is sometimes up close and present. We therefore have to determine whether we trust Jesus to see us through the Valley of Shadows as represented in His directive.

So, as we hear God’s voice and confirm that it is God Who speaks, will we heed God’s voice?

Point to Ponder

What does our Valley of Shadows look like? Are we open to obey Y’shua if we know the potential for danger?

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May all we seek be found in Christ