Jesus spent forty days with His disciples after He was resurrected to assure that His work would continue in the world after He left.  The disciples were used to the Lord's bodily presence; how kind He was to wean them ever so gently, and prepare them for the time when He would no longer be with them in human form - but He would be with them in the Spirit. "...but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (Acts 1:5b).  Everything they had grown to rely upon in the flesh would in a moment be transformed.  Every natural, temporary thought and desire would be changed in an instant when the Spirit would rest upon them and open their eyes and hearts to the eternal spiritual kingdom of God.  Jesus met with them to give them instruction for their work in the world and how they would accomplish it:  "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (v. 8).

The Holy Spirit of divine might was given to make the work of God effectual in the lives of His followers.  The disciples were instructed to wait until they received that power before they began the work. The disciples' willingness to wait on God proved beneficial as the promised gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them at Pentecost (reference Acts 2:1-4).  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for the work of Jesus Christ to continue in the world.  We often attempt to do the work of God in our own strength, and like the disciples casting their nets without Christ's help we come up empty handed.  Charles Spurgeon has said, "We slander God with our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him."   If we knew God as we should, we would know that His work is done His way, in His time, and in His power.  The work of God will not be done in any other way. Therefore it is essential that we take the time to understand His will through His Word each day.  God has given us His instruction Book for life and a personal Guide in His Holy Spirit to lead us through this life to accomplish His will.  If we aren't utilizing these essential tools we are wasting energy and time that will yield little of any kingdom value.  May we tap into the power we have been given by meeting with the Lord daily in prayer and allowing Him to feed us from His Word, so we will have all the nourishment and strength we need to carry His glorious message to the rest of the hungering world. 

A well-known Chinese proverb states that if you  "Give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."  The Lord wants to teach us to be completely dependent upon Him by becoming disciplined to meet with Him moment-by-moment, and meal-by-meal throughout each and every day; so His body will be strong and healthy and whole (and holy!).  May we make it a priority each day to come to the table when our Father calls, and sit in His presence and feast on the rich portion He has thoughtfully prepared for us.  There is no other appointment on our calendar that is as important as this one is to keep.  When we show up we will find He was already waiting for us, with the food we need already prepared!  May we listen to the voice of our beloved Bridegroom calling us to "Come and have breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack!)" (John 21:12a).  May we come often and give Him the attention and affection He desires and deserves from His children.