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The Daily Devotional
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Lifted Up, Sent Out, Held Close
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” — Acts 1:8
Reflection
Ascension Sunday stands in that holy space between Christ’s resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The risen Lord has appeared to His disciples, taught them, restored their hope, and now prepares to ascend to the Father. Yet before He is taken from their sight, they ask a question that sounds very human: “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” They want to know the timing. They want to know what comes next. They want the plan laid out before them.
Jesus does not give them a calendar. He gives them a calling.
He tells them that the times and seasons belong to the Father, but they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Then they will be His witnesses—not only in familiar places, but in widening circles of faithfulness: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The ascension is not Christ’s withdrawal from His people. It is His exaltation, His reigning, and His sending. The disciples are not abandoned. They are entrusted.
There is something deeply comforting in the way Acts describes what happens next. After Jesus ascends, the disciples return to Jerusalem. They do not rush into ministry on their own strength. They do not immediately organize a campaign, build a platform, or try to force the kingdom into being. They gather in prayer. They wait together. They trust the promise of Christ before they understand the fullness of what that promise will require.
That kind of waiting is not easy. Most of us prefer movement to stillness. We like having something to do, something to fix, something to measure. Waiting can feel like weakness, especially when life is uncertain. Yet the waiting of the disciples was not empty. It was prayerful, obedient, and expectant. They were learning that faithful witness begins not with noise, but with dependence on God.
An everyday picture may help us. Think of someone preparing for a long journey by car across unfamiliar country. Before pulling onto the highway, they check the map, fuel the vehicle, make sure the tires are sound, and listen carefully to the directions. That time in the driveway may not look like progress, but it is part of the journey. To rush ahead unprepared would not be courage; it might be carelessness. In the same way, the disciples’ return to the upper room was not delay without purpose. It was preparation. They were being readied for roads they could not yet imagine.
Ascension Sunday reminds us that Christ reigns even when we are waiting. It also reminds us that we do not carry the work of God by our own strength. Peter’s words in the lectionary reading echo this truth: humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, cast your anxiety on Him, remain watchful, and trust that the God of all grace will restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. The Christian life includes suffering, uncertainty, and seasons when we cannot see the whole road ahead. But we are not left alone. The ascended Christ intercedes for His people, and the Spirit empowers us to live as witnesses.
John 17 deepens this comfort. Before His passion, Jesus prays for those the Father has given Him. He prays not as a distant observer, but as the loving Lord who knows His disciples will remain in the world after He returns to the Father. He holds them before God in prayer. That means our witness is never carried outside the care of Christ. We speak, serve, endure, forgive, pray, and hope beneath the covering of His love.
The challenge for us is simple, but not always easy: live faithfully in the place where Christ has placed you today. Your Jerusalem may be your home, your workplace, your neighborhood, your family, or the quiet conversations that happen along the ordinary road of life. You may not feel powerful. You may feel tired, uncertain, or small. But the promise of Acts 1:8 is not that we will become impressive. The promise is that the Holy Spirit empowers ordinary disciples to bear witness to an extraordinary Savior.
So today, do not despise the waiting room. Do not assume stillness means God is absent. Pray where you are. Trust Christ’s reign. Cast your anxieties upon the One who cares for you. Bear witness with humility, patience, and courage. The Lord who ascended has not left His people behind. He has lifted our hope heavenward and sent us outward in love.
Prayer
Ascended Lord Jesus, we give thanks that You reign with the Father and still hold Your people close in love. Teach us to wait with trust, to pray with hope, and to serve with humility. When we are anxious, help us cast our cares upon You. When we are uncertain, remind us that Your Spirit gives strength for the road ahead. Make us faithful witnesses in our homes, our communities, and every place You send us. Keep us united in prayer, grounded in grace, and encouraged by the promise that You are with us always. Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the World English Bible (WEB), which is a Public Domain Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is in draft form and is currently being edited for accuracy and readability. All rights reserved.
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