Acts 1:1–11

Be Still: Jesus, you have not left us to fend for ourselves. As I read today, help me see where you are asking me to wait, and where you are sending me, powered by your Spirit. Amen.

Read: Acts 1:1–11

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses… (v8)

Encounter: From Sundays to Mondays – When You Are Stuck in the In Between

Acts opens in a strange 'in between' moment. Jesus has risen from the dead, spent forty days with his followers and spoken about God’s kingdom. The Cross and Resurrection are complete, yet the next chapter has not begun. The disciples want clarity: 'Jesus, are you going to sort everything out now?' But instead of a timetable, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit’s power and gives them a calling: 'You will be my witnesses…'

I often think about that season after I stepped down from leading a church, caught in a long, uncertain wait. I asked God, 'What is next?' countless times. I longed for any answer, any direction. But day after day, the only sense I had was, 'Wait. Stay faithful. Be available.' In that hidden space, I was being reframed and my identity reshaped. My calling shifted from 'lead a church' to 'be my witness wherever I place you.'

Then a mission support role opened, serving churches and leaders rather than one congregation. It was nothing I had planned or expected. Looking back, I can see that Jesus was recommissioning me, sending me to be his witness in a different kind of 'Jerusalem', not one church family, but a wider network of communities.

This is where faith moves from Sundays to Mondays. Jesus ascends, but he does not step away from the story. He takes his place as Lord overall and sends the Spirit so his life can be at work in ordinary people, in ordinary places. The risen Jesus is no longer in one spot on a hillside; he is made known through witnesses in homes, workplaces, and streets across the world.

Apply: Are you in an 'in between' season, asking Jesus for answers he is not giving? Be honest with him about your questions. Then ask, 'Right here, what does it look like for me to be your witness?' Listen for one small step you can take today.

Devote: Jesus, thank you for your Spirit and for calling me to be your witness. Teach me to trust your timing and your power. Use my life to point people to you.