Happy Ascension Day!

Happy Ascension Day! Chances are pretty good that when you greeted someone today that was not the first thing you said. As we learn from Acts 1, Jesus ascended to heaven forty days after His resurrection. During those days He appeared to the apostles and many of His followers to show them He was very much alive and well, just as He said would happen. But instead of remaining on this earth and setting up a powerful nation, He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for His followers in the Father’s House. He has promised to come back and take us to be where He is.

The final verses of Luke’s Gospel account give us a beautiful picture of Jesus as He ascends blessing His followers. Unlike the end of the worship service when I have the privilege of speaking the blessing and then we sing the final hymn, this blessing of Jesus is continuous. Think of the wonder of our Lord in His love always keeping His eye on us speaking words of blessing. That is what He wants – for us to live in the comfort of His loving care.

Wouldn’t it be great if each day we saw Jesus’ hands outstretched in blessing and we heard His comforting voice? Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Blessed to be a blessing.” A great way of understanding that phrase is to realize the important role we have as followers of Jesus in helping others to hear His words of mercy, compassion, and love and see in us examples of what it means to live in the joy of His salvation – to live in the confidence of knowing where we go Jesus goes as our wondrous Good Shepherd who leads us and protects us even through the darkest of valleys to get us right where He wants us to be in the Father’s House.

Unfortunately, our world is filled with negative voices that seek to tear down rather than build up. Pray that the Holy Spirit would sanctify each of our voices – indeed every aspect of our lives – that we might reflect a God who would much rather bless than curse.