Acts 1:7-8
He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Black Friday… a day when the opening of the stores comes earlier each year. Some opened at midnight – others at 3 a.m. Apparently, for many Christmas shoppers, timing is everything… and the earlier the starting hour, the better. Imagine if the stores didn’t give the opening time. Imagine if they just said, “We’ll open sometime early morning.” People would probably camp out in record numbers so that they could be sure and be there when things started to happen. Everyone wants to boast about the great bargains they got… and even how early they were in line to get them!
It’s funny how we will camp out for hours to wait for a store to open for a big sale, or tickets to go on sale for a concert that is incredibly popular… but we’re far less concerned with the timing of Jesus. We don’t seem to eagerly be about preparing for His return or what He needs done… and doing the things we should to be ready. We don’t seem to recognize that God is with us in the form of His Holy Spirit, equipping us to accomplish great things in His name… and we are commissioned to do so! We’re soldiers in God’s army, and the assignment is to be His witnesses!
So while we are busy with getting ready for Christmas… buying gifts, trimming the tree and decorating our houses and yards to the hilt... sending cards and throwing parties and eating and drinking way too much of all of the holiday goodies… let’s try to remind ourselves frequently of the real reason for this season. Do not forget our mission! Remember that we don’t know the hour of Christ’s return… but we do know what we’re supposed to do in the meantime. Are you properly prepared? On Whose time do you operate?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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