When we face unexpected or confusing turns in life, our natural human instinct is to get busy. We want to take immediate action, fix the problem, or chart a new course in our own strength. But the opening chapter of Acts gives us a completely different blueprint for navigating seasons of transition: we must wait on God before we act.
In Acts 1:12-26, the disciples found themselves in a monumental period of waiting. Jesus had just ascended into heaven. He left them with a massive mission, to go into all the world and make disciples, but he also told them to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit. If we were walking back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives in Peter’s shoes, we might have been tempted to split up and start preaching immediately. Instead, the early church gathered in the upper room and "continually united in prayer."
True obedience requires us to depend entirely on the Spirit’s power rather than our own. As John Calvin once noted, the surest evidence of true faith is when we obey God even when we cannot yet see the fulfillment of His promises.
Seeing Your Circumstances Through the Lens of Scripture
During this time of waiting, the believers faced a painful reality: the tragic betrayal and death of Judas, which left a gaping hole in their leadership. Peter stood up among the 120 gathered disciples and turned directly to the Psalms to find perspective. He didn't treat the betrayal as a failure of God’s plan, but as a fulfillment of scripture.
The cross was never "Plan B," and neither was the betrayal. When our circumstances are confusing or painful, we must interpret our reality through the lens of God's Word. Scripture isn't just for information; it is for interpretation. It is the tool that allows us to see the hand of God at work in history. The enemy may plot and scheme, but he is neither omniscient nor omnipotent. He is ultimately an unwilling servant to the King of Kings, who works all things according to the counsel of His divine will.
Resting in God's Sovereign Heart
To fill Judas's position, the church sought an eyewitness to Christ’s resurrection, reminding us that our faith rests on historical reality, not myth. They nominated two qualified men, prayed, and cast lots. Matthias was chosen, showing God’s absolute sovereignty over both the large and small details of life. When we cannot see His hand, we can always trust His heart.
As a church body, we are entering a dedicated seven-day season of fasting and prayer to seek the Lord's wisdom, greater unity around the gospel, and a renewed passion for its spread. Fasting humbles us and sharpens our hunger for God, reminding us to lean on the total sufficiency of Christ. Let us turn our hearts toward Him this week with radical obedience, waiting and praying with expectancy for what He will do in our midst.