PANGAKO

(Promise)

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:6–8

(Read also John 14:15–31.)

Listen

Pangako by Victory Worship

Reflect

Sa'n mang dalhing parte ng daigdig, nariyan Ka

(Wherever in the world You lead me, You are there)

Hilaga, silangan, timog, o kanluran, kasama Kita

(From north to south, from east to west, You’re with me)

“Are we there yet?” is a question toddlers often ask when they are either so excited—or bored with the long journey or traffic—just to get to the place they were told they would go. Parents will usually say, “We’re almost there!” or when there’s still a long way to go, “Let’s play a game and have some fun along the way!” Like little children, when we are waiting, we tend to focus on our excitement or desperation. And just as young children need to be guided through these emotions, God guides us, too.

In Acts 1:6, the disciples were asking the risen Jesus something that excited them and they had become desperate about for generations. They asked “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They were asking a valid question. But Jesus, seeming to align their minds and hearts, was telling them that the Father, by His authority, has fixed the times or seasons—and it is not for them to know. He was pointing them to a bigger reality, God’s plan involving all nations: “you will receive power.” Divine dynamic strength will be given to them when the Person of the Holy Spirit comes so they can bear witness to God’s saving grace and love wherever they go—from where they were to the nearby cities and regions, and even to the ends of the earth.

When we seem to be trapped in the challenges of our situation, we can hold fast to the greater reality we have in Christ. We have been given the promised power through the Person of the Holy Spirit. He is our Helper.

Through the Holy Spirit, we can be filled with God’s assurance of love for today and of hope for tomorrow.

He permanently dwells in us and will be forever with us. When we fix our eyes on Him, His greatness, and His grace, we are filled with an assurance that He is working all things for our good and His glory. Let us rely on the Holy Spirit and maximize this divine access and grace He empowers us with. Indeed, He is God’s power flowing within us, fully clothing us with strength and guiding us through His word of truth.

Respond

• As you listen to and worship God through the song “Pangako,” what do you believe is God speaking to you? What truths or lines resonate with you?
• Reflect on your experience of trusting God’s plans to be fulfilled in your life. How does the Holy Spirit help you as you wait?
• How has the Holy Spirit helped you be reminded of God’s love and hope in your life? To whom can you share this truth and encourage to know Christ and receive the Holy Spirit?

Pray

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. Thank You that through Him, we now have the promised Holy Spirit who lives in us and guides us into all truth. Thank You that the Holy Spirit seals us as Your children and is the mark of Your love and power at work within us. May Your Holy Spirit continue to empower us to live lives set apart for Your purpose and to tell of who You are. In Jesus’ name, amen.