Waiting

Last week, we read that while Paul was in Jerusalem, he was falsely accused, physically attacked and then arrested. Now, he has asked to speak to the crowd that attacked him. Today, we will listen in on the last part of that speech.


Acts 22
14 “Then he (Ananias) told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’ 17 “After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. 18 I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’ 19 “‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’ 21 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’” 22 The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” 23 They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.


Waiting. The overwhelming theme of this part of the story is, "Stop waiting. Start doing". If you have never accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness, what are you waiting for? If you have never expressed your faith in God by being baptized, what are you waiting for? If you have never intently asked God about your next step in life, what are you waiting for? If you have asked, and you know God has called you to move in a new direction; but you are hesitating, what are you waiting for? If you have never shared with someone else what you have “seen and heard” in this relationship with Jesus, what are you waiting for? If you have, but know there is someone in your life that you have held back sharing with because of hurt or resentment or pride or selfishness, what are you waiting for? Seriously, what are you waiting for?