May 17, 2007

“He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.’” Acts 1:7.
Jesus’ disciples asked Him a question concerning the restoration of the kingdom, and, as I discussed last week, their main concern focused on the removal of the Roman occupational government and forces from Israel and the establishment of a earthly kingdom similar to King David’s. Jesus, in this verse, is replying to their question by focusing on God’s ultimate authority before turning to the empowerment of the disciples. In turning the focus to God, Jesus is demonstrating to His disciples, yet again, where the primary focus is to be, and where it always should be – away from earthly kingdoms and focused on the kingdom of the heart that God seeks to establish.
Jesus informs His disciples that it is not necessary for them to know dates and times. In fact, it is inferred that this is to be God’s total concern and that we can trust Him to take care of these concerns in just the right time. And yet, this is a concern that the disciples seem to go back to, and one that we, in our present time, dwell on. Timing is such a control-issue oriented thing! For example, in a very small way, I struggle with relinquishing control of the timing of things in my life. My wife and I have an on-going “issue” about our timing in going to church on Sunday, and I must say that I am challenged to “lay my own desires” down for the sake of relational peace. Now granted, this is such a small issue, yet as how we handle ourselves in the small can influence how we handle ourselves in the big issues of life. Today, I would like for us to take some time to reflect on how we view time. Who is in control of your time, your schedule, and your timing of things? Is your schedule more important than the relationships around you that are affected by your view of time? Ultimately, it should give us great comfort and peace knowing that we can trust God for His care in bringing about ultimate things and matters in their proper time. He is in control. Take some time to reflect on how much control He has over this area of your life.