Power in Not Knowing — Two2Grow, May 27
Power in Not Knowing — Two2Grow, May 27
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7–8 NIV
It is very hard to be in a place where you don’t know what to do or how long it will take before circumstances change. When we lack knowledge, we tend to get anxious, and we either give up or try to control everything—neither of which is a good option.
In our text today the disciples wanted Jesus to tell them when exactly God was going to establish His kingdom. But Jesus’ response was to give the promise of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Often we think of the anointing of the Holy Spirit as the power to perform miracles and operate in other charismatic gifts. All that is good, and we need more of that. But what we see in this text is that one reason we need to be anointed with power is that we live in a time when we don’t have full knowledge—we only know “in part,” as Paul wrote (1 Cor. 13:12).
There are so many things we just don’t know:
God might show you a specific time, but what I have found is that, most often, Jesus answers us the same: “It is not for you to know…But you will receive power”.
The Holy Spirit gives you the power to live in uncertainty—exactly as the first disciples in the book of Acts. God’s answer is to give you power to live a fruitful and meaningful life and to work for His kingdom even while not knowing.
God is faithful. He will not leave you powerless, even when He leaves you without answers.
Jesus, I cannot live this life without You. I know that You have the timing figured out, and that is enough for me. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may have the power I need to live in uncertainty.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
It is very hard to be in a place where you don’t know what to do or how long it will take before circumstances change. When we lack knowledge, we tend to get anxious, and we either give up or try to control everything—neither of which is a good option.
In our text today the disciples wanted Jesus to tell them when exactly God was going to establish His kingdom. But Jesus’ response was to give the promise of being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Often we think of the anointing of the Holy Spirit as the power to perform miracles and operate in other charismatic gifts. All that is good, and we need more of that. But what we see in this text is that one reason we need to be anointed with power is that we live in a time when we don’t have full knowledge—we only know “in part,” as Paul wrote (1 Cor. 13:12).
There are so many things we just don’t know:
- How long will I be lonely before God sends me a soulmate?
- How long will I have to battle this sickness?
- How long will I have to wait for the fulfillment of the vision God gave me?
- How long will it take before I get the financial breakthrough I am praying for?
- When will I overcome this temptation?
God might show you a specific time, but what I have found is that, most often, Jesus answers us the same: “It is not for you to know…But you will receive power”.
The Holy Spirit gives you the power to live in uncertainty—exactly as the first disciples in the book of Acts. God’s answer is to give you power to live a fruitful and meaningful life and to work for His kingdom even while not knowing.
God is faithful. He will not leave you powerless, even when He leaves you without answers.
Jesus, I cannot live this life without You. I know that You have the timing figured out, and that is enough for me. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I may have the power I need to live in uncertainty.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD