Read: Acts 1:1-11
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. (v. 11)
The end of this story always makes me laugh. It’s that picture of the disciples, standing, looking at the sky, lost in the moment. It feels familiar to me, an impatient mom who often has to startle my distracted children into getting on with whatever we have planned. I’ve also been on the disciples’ side of that interaction, lost in a moment, not thinking about the next step in my day.
Of course, the disciples need to move on. They still don’t know what the future holds, but Jesus has given them the next step—to wait in Jerusalem. So that’s what they do. They wait together, praying and organizing themselves. And it is there, together, that they are baptized with the Holy Spirit just as he promised they would be (Acts 2). At each step, Jesus is with them. They just have to keep following him, faithful to his instruction.
The disciples are a great encouragement to me as I follow Jesus. Like them, I don’t get everything right, but Jesus keeps on pointing me in the right direction. Like them, I’ve got my instructions: be a witness (v. 8). Like them, I have a community of believers to help me, both in my local church, and in the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) going all the way back to the disciples. Like them, I have to keep following him with each step. —Christy Prins
As you pray, listen for God’s voice today.
About the Author
Christy Prins is the managing editor of the Words of Hope Daily Devotional. When Christy isn't reading devotional submissions, she's busy working in the garden, reading, and playing with her kids.
