“Indefinitely”

 

Indefinitely is defined as something that is done or that will go on, for an undetermined period of time, without a foreseeable end.

Can you imagine yourself doing something on and on and on with no end in sight? Especially if it’s some tedious chore, or a dull boring job.

Just having to wait for any undetermined period of time can send one insane with impatience and frustrate the skin off your bones. But do you know that that is exactly what the disciples had to do?

Jesus had told them to wait for the Father’s promise. It was after His resurrection, He appeared to the disciples and one of the things He said to them was,

“…Wait here until you receive what the Father promised to send…” Acts 1:4 (ERV)

Jesus never specified a period of time, as a matter of fact, when time was brought up, this was Jesus’ response,

“The Father is the only one who has the authority to decide dates and times. They are not for you to know.” Acts 1:7 (ERV)

Another translation says it like this, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business.” (MSG)

The disciples quickly understood that if they did not wait, they would not receive what God had promised. They went into the Upper Room to wait no matter how long it would take.

Acts 1:13 states, “And when they had entered [the city], they mounted [the stairs] to the upper room where they were [indefinitely] staying…” (AMPC)

Clearly, they were in this for the long haul. They’d made up their minds that they were not leaving that room until that promise manifested – they were prepared to wait indefinitely.

Yes, indefinitely, with no foreseeable end; not for a day or two, not a month or a year but for how ever long it took God to show up, they were determined to wait on Him.

Let me tell you, indefinitely is a long time and for us humans, having to wait indefinitely for anything is hard for us to do, it’s pure drudgery. We can barely wait 30 seconds for the microwave.

But we, you and I, need to know that even if we are not seeing an end or feeling something, God is working His purpose out on our behalf, and He will do what He says He will do. You get it?

Hebrews 10:36 assures us that if we stick it out with faith and patience, we will receive God’s promise. Not just me, you too – “we”; so beloved, with this in mind, ask God to teach you how to wait, and wait, and wait, and then wait some more, on Him…Indefinitely.

Amen†

Shelley Johnson “Indefinitely” © 2016 revisited August 19, 2025