Mensa Otabil - Wait for the Promise of the Father

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Each one of us goes through moments where we feel inadequate; we think that what we’re dealing with is far bigger than ourselves. We don’t have the strength or the capacity. Sometimes we look inside and feel very small, weak, and incapable. You’re not the only one who feels that way. I believe almost everybody goes through that, including the disciples of Jesus at the time of His ascension to heaven. They wanted to know how to survive.

We read in Acts chapter 1, verse 4: «And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which He said you have heard from Me.» This is Jesus about to leave for heaven; His disciples are worried about how life will be without Him physically present. They were used to having Him there, their hero and leader, and now He would be physically away. The disciples knew that enemies were all around them. The people who had crucified Jesus were still nearby, and the Jews who hated them were still present. They understood that people were not ready for their message. Yet, amidst all that, Jesus told them to go to the same crowd that disliked them and preach the gospel, to share the good news and tell them about their experiences, their witness.

So the question is: how are we going to approach this unfriendly environment of negativity, and how will we be successful in trying to convince people who hate us? Because the environment is negative, the answer Jesus gave them was to wait. Wait for what? Wait for the promise of the Father. The promise of the Father was the Holy Spirit. Jesus later told them that when the Holy Spirit came, He would give them the power to do what they feared they could not do. There are times when each of us feels that we lack what it takes to accomplish our goals; sometimes our vision may be grand, our dreams might be great, but our talents and abilities feel small. We ask ourselves how we can ever achieve those dreams. Wait for the promise of the Father. The promise of the Father is the Holy Spirit. When we wait on the Lord, that is what we receive. When the Bible says He will renew our strength, it is the Holy Spirit’s empowerment and ability that helps us approach the world we fear and turn it around.

So if you’re wondering how you’re going to make it, it’s the promise of the Father. Wait for the promise of the Father; wait for God to empower you. The Holy Spirit comes with special gifts and abilities; He gives us boldness—things we didn’t think we had. He is the difference maker; He makes all the difference. When you wait on Him, that difference will show in your life. The disciples of Jesus were not educated, but when the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them, people thought they were the most sophisticated theologians because the Holy Spirit enables you to do things that life has not given you naturally. So wait on the Lord; wait for the promise of the Father. When His Spirit is stirred up in you, you will begin to do things that will amaze even yourself. I pray that the Holy Spirit will empower and equip you to go out into your world and make a huge difference. Peace and life to you.