November 1 | Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 24-26; Titus 2

Living in Uncertain Times

It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. Acts 1:7

READ Acts 1:3–8

For the past thirteen years, I have been left mostly bedbound by a neurological illness. In the early days, I asked God again and again, “When will I get better? When will it all go back to normal? When will You restore my old life to me?” I felt so powerless.

A similar longing to restore the ‘good old days’ is what motivates the disciples’ question to Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They wanted Jesus to fulfil their particular vision for their future—for him to lead the geographical state of Israel. However, Jesus had always taught that the kingdom of God was not a place but a way of living, with God as King (see Matthew 5:1–20).

They wanted to regain political power; Jesus wanted them to wait and receive God’s spiritual power, “when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). They wanted Jesus to reclaim Jerusalem, but Jesus had a better plan: for them to be witnesses “in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (v. 8).

Whenever we feel powerless and want to know the future, this passage helps us to trust God’s good plans. Rather than seeking worldly power, let’s lean on God’s power and timing. Like the disciples did, we can wait, draw strength from the Holy Spirit and continue faithfully as Jesus’ witnesses.

By Tanya Marlow

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

This passage marks the second time Jesus had given the disciples their mission statement—the Great Commission. Christ had earlier given them the crucial assignment to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Here He says, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). At this point, the church has yet to be formed. In fact, at this time the believers are drawn predominantly from the Jewish community alone. The apostles had been waiting in Jerusalem, as Jesus instructed them. Soon, however, Pentecost would take place ( ch. 2). The church would take shape and would include people from “the ends of the earth.” We who believe their message are the beneficiaries of their obedience to Christ’s command, and we too are tasked with continuing to take the gospel message to the world.