Go...Stay...Wait

Matthew 28:18-20, ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:4-5, ESV

And while staying with them he [Jesus] ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Go—but first, stay and wait. 

Ugh. 

Have you ever had a season in your life in which you felt God say, “Go,” only to be followed by Him saying, “Stay and wait?”

Me too.

And so did many other men and women of God throughout Scripture.

Those seasons are not easy, but we can learn a lot by looking at what the apostles did during their “stay and wait” season.

They kept meeting together.

They devoted themselves to prayer.

They got their team in order (they chose Matthias to replace Judas).

And we can do the same things while we wait. 

Stay in our community.

Devote ourselves to prayer.

Get our stuff in order. 

And God will show up when the timing is right.

Oh Lord, thank You for your promises. Give us the patience to stay and wait when we’re eager to go, and give us the discipline to do what we need to do in the meantime. Amen.