Acts 1:6–8: “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Do you ever find yourself yearning for another season in life? Maybe it’s a longing for the good old days. Maybe it’s hoping for a better one ahead. When we’re in school, we look ahead to graduation. Then we dream of a job. Then marriage. Then kids. Then getting the kids out of the house. And before long, we’re yearning to have them back.
It’s so easy to slip into a grass is greener mindset.
It seems the disciples struggled with this too. They once said to Jesus, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us” (John 14:8). Are you kidding me? You had the incredible privilege of walking with Jesus—face to face—and still wanted something more?
Even as Jesus was about to ascend, the disciples asked if now was the time He would restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). They were still longing for a different kind of outcome—a different kind of moment—than the one Jesus was giving them. But Jesus doesn’t rebuke their desire outright. He simply redirects it. He says, “It’s not for you to know the times… but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:7–8).
In other words, stop obsessing over the timeline and start living into the mission. Stop worrying about another time and step into the moment I’ve given you today. My presence and power are with you to live fully right now. When we fixate on another season, we miss the gifts and purpose God has placed in the present one.
This is the day the Lord has made. He’s placed you in it by His design. So press into it with trust. Walk in it with His power.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.”
So, take hold of today. God is with you in it.