Advent Devotional: Day 21

Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-11

There’s so much that I could write about between the Resurrection and the Ascension, but I felt God’s prompting to stay here.  The Ascension.

He spent that time preparing them again to be without Him. He had to leave so that the Holy Spirit (The Helper) could come. Luke doesn’t give the details we find in Acts, but what he does share leads us to the final week, the week of Joy. Verse 52: ”And they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great Joy.”

Here are His followers having witnessed His ministry firsthand, His death AND resurrection, and they watched Him go to heaven. This time grief did not overwhelm them, instead they celebrated.  They were filled with great joy and were continually in the temple blessing God.

What would it take for us to be filled with great joy, so much so that we would continually bless God?

Bless God?  Do I bless God?  I believe I ask for blessings from Him from time to time, but do I bless God?  How?

Simeon got it at the birth of Christ.  His words would be a great place to start our blessing God.

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

How can our salvation fill us with joy?  In that joy, where can we share the love of God with others?