When [Jesus] had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Luke 24:50-53
“The key to spiritual satisfaction is being right with God. When through faith we are in the position of sonship, then God’s riches become our riches; God’s abundance, our abundance; God’s power, our power. When a proper relationship has been restored between us and God, then happiness, contentment, and peace of mind will be a natural outgrowth of that restored relationship.”
Billy Graham (1918-2018) in The Secret of Happiness (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985) 70.
Today we observe the ascension of Christ. Hard to believe that it’s been 40 days since Easter! Time flies when you are having fun exploring the relationship between “abundance” and generosity through church history.
With the recent passing of Billy Graham it seemed fitting to locate the theme in his writings. I am typing this from Washington Dulles airport. Assuming flights are on schedule, I should be somewhere between Frankfurt, Germany, and Chennai, India, when this posts.
Are you spiritually satisfied? Only in Christ do we have everything we have ever needed and will ever need. God’s abundance is our abundance. This truth aims at bringing us the same joy it brought the first disciples. I pray each person reading this grasps this realization.
The reality of His ascension must not leave us feeling alone but should serve to remind us that our Lord is with us always, even to the end of the age. Knowing that He is with us always, empowers us with courage and strength to serve generously where we live or on the other side of the planet!
Thank you Lord that wherever we go You are there, and You are everything we need!