Karen Peck and New River will be joining us this Saturday for the Fall Fest Hometown Spectacular here in Indiana.  We thought you might like to read her devotion from the Homecoming Bible. 

Devotion by Karen Peck Gooch
Taken from the Homecoming Bible

Luke 24:50-53

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Several months ago, while preaching a revival, Rev. Bob Pittman briefly touched on a passage of scriptures that to this day, is indelibly etched in my mind.  The disciples lived with Jesus for three years. They walked with Him and fellowshipped with Him. He was their leader, mentor, teacher, friend, and their Messiah. They knew Him and they loved Him. They watched Jesus suffer and die on a cross. Even after the resurrection, the disciples walked with Him for several days. At the end of Luke, while Jesus was ascending into heaven, verse 52 says that the disciples “worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” GREAT JOY? Wow! If the disciples were so close to Jesus, then why weren’t they sad to see Jesus leaving them? Instead, they were excited about going out and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
              
My heart has been so blessed by these verses. Three things have come to my mind regarding their meaning:

1. The disciples knew that even though He was leaving them then, Jesus would soon return.
2. Jesus would be sending them the Holy Spirit to comfort them and teach them every thing they would need to know. so, Jesus really wasn’t leaving them at all.
3. The disciples were excited about going out and preaching the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because they knew that everything that Jesus had taught them and everything that they had experienced from Him was True.  That is why they had great joy.

Even through my greatest trials, can I still stand strong in knowing that everything that I’ve read in God’s word and everything that I’ve experienced with my Lord is true? And like those first disciples, that is what keeps me going.

Find more devotionals from the Homecoming Friends in the Gaither Homecoming Bible.  Click here for more information…