What is God doing? How often I have asked that question when I didn’t understand what was going on in my life, when I could not see the end from the middle of the problem. But, that aside, “What is God doing?” is a valid question for the church today. After all, should not our greatest desire be to “hear what the Spirit is saying to the church?”
Just before Jesus ascended to heaven following His resurrection, He told those gathered with Him to not leave Jerusalem. He told them to wait “until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” [Acts 1:4-5]
Many scholars tell us that Jesus did not say this to just the eleven apostles, but to more than 500 people gathered to hear His great commission and witness His ascension. [Matthew 28:18-20, 1 Corinthians 15:6]
Notice the time frame Jesus gave them – until. They were to wait until. Humans have a difficult time with until. We want to know when, down to the day and the hour. And if it is going to take too long, then let’s go on to something we can achieve in a shorter time.
God, however, often requires us not just to wait, but to wait until. Of the 500 who may have been present that day, when the “until” arrived on the Day of Pentecost, only 120 were left in the Upper Room to have an encounter with God that not only changed them but changed the world.
So, what is God doing? He’s bringing about Revival across our land, across our world. The enemy senses it’s coming and doing everything in his power to stop it. The church must heed what the Spirit is saying, we are to wait (and pray) “until” we see God’s outpouring!
