Week Two: Waiting for the Promise

“Do not leave Jerusalem 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

There’s a space in the life of faith that few of us expect—but all of us experience. It’s the space between the promise and the power. We know what God has said. We believe He is faithful. Yet we find ourselves waiting—unsure, sometimes weary, wondering what comes next. Acts 1 reminds us that this space isn’t empty. It’s intentional.

In Acts 1:4-5, the disciples find themselves in the same situation. Jesus has risen, and hope is reignited. You might think this would be the moment to act—to move forward or do something with their recent encounters with the risen Christ. But Jesus gives an unexpected command: “Do not leave Jerusalem…”

Stay. Wait.

They didn’t yet have the power, and Jesus knew that moving forward without it would mean relying on their own strength rather than on His.

Before they could share the message of Christ with the world, they needed to receive something they couldn’t produce on their own—the Holy Spirit’s power.

And maybe, if we’re honest, this is the hardest part.

We prefer to go rather than wait.

God’s promise and His power always go together—but not always at the same time.

There is a season of preparation, a time when He shapes and equips us for what’s ahead. Pentecost reminds us that waiting isn’t wasted; it’s when God does His deepest work in us before sending us out.

This week, reflect on the promises God has made to you and consider how He may be preparing you to step into them. Trust that the Spirit will move—and when He does, you’ll be ready to live out God’s purpose with boldness and power.