God has made a few promises in his day. Among them is the idea that God's not done working on us yet, that our best days are ahead of us.
While I know this one in particular to be true from past experience, some days I question how long a promise like that could take. Family struggles, girl problems, and too many people in need of encouragement can plant the seeds of anxiety, impatience and restlessness. Even though these issues are trivial in light of all that God is capable of, eventually I wear down and begin to question God, not doubt per se but question.
It sucks to feel like that immediately after witnessing entire days, weeks, a month of God's blessings and power at work in our lives. I'm human. It happens.
I think some of Jesus's followers went through that in the moments before Jesus ascended to heaven. Imagine that.
In the climax of all that had happened until then, God intervened in the lives of every human being out there. By the power of God, Jesus walked with the living forty days after his expiration date. God blessed Jesus with awesome ninja abilities when he entered a locked house. It was a miracle Thomas didn't spew his guts when Jesus got him to poke a finger through his hands. Don't forget the 153 fish God jammed in Peter's net the instant Jesus wanted some noms. God worked so much through Jesus, they couldn't write it all down!
And yet, his followers still wondered how much longer it would be before one of God's promised blessings would come.
Advising his followers not to leave Jerusalem, Jesus said, "Hey, kick it here for a while, until yo Daddy gives you what he promised, that Holy Spirit yo."
That's when they asked if at that time, God would restore the kingdom to Israel, like in the old days.
To put it in context, this was a big deal for the Jewish people. The reestablishment of the kingdom of Israel meant the restoration of justice to the people of God. It meant they would no longer suffer the oppression of a foreign power ruling over them, as was the case during that time with the Romans. It meant a return to a time when God's people had power among the nations.
Since the exile, the Jews had waited a long time to see God fulfill that promise.
We don't know what Jesus sounded like when he andswered, but we know he said, "Chill out, it's neither here nor there, it'll happen in God's time."
He also pointed something interesting out.
"Dawg, when it happens, it'll be crazy! Y'all gonna receive power when that Holy Spirit comes and dang yo, you gonna go and be singin' my song to every nation!"
As the chosen people of God, believers who receive the Holy Spirit, are going to live in God's kingdom, while still living here on this earth. As Paul puts it, "our citizenship is in heaven," which means believers do not belong to any earthly nation or people. They are unique, set apart for God and his work.
But, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, God's people will receive power to go out among the nations. As representatives of the Kingdom, it's as if the Holy Spirit is Jesus's answer to when and how the kingdom of Israel (ie the kingdom of the people of God) would be restored to its former and future glory!
Don't let any promises God made that you think are not yet fulfilled stop you from living the kingdom dream. Maybe you just aren't aware of how God is working in that part of your life, for the God we serve is not a God of broken promises.
