Bible League: Living His Word "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." — Luke 10:20 NKJV In Luke 10, the Lord Jesus sends out 70 of His followers to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God to them. Jesus motivates their mission with the well-known words, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few" (v. 2). Although 70 people stand ready to fulfill the commission, Jesus says more workers are needed. Today, this reminder is as relevant as it was in the days of the New Testament. Therefore, pause a while now and "pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:38). While re-reading this chapter, it struck me that Luke writes that Jesus sent the disciples "before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go" (Luke 10:1). I think that is an essential reminder for us as we put ourselves at His disposal. We go where He is about to go. We don't plan out our missionary activities, He does! It's a lesson in dependence, too, but not without a promise: they go "before His face." He sees them when they go out. He follows them with His eyes. We can trust that the LORD will make His face shine upon us (Numbers 6:25) as we go out in His service. The 70 heal the sick, preach the kingdom, and when they return, they are full of joy. "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name," they say in verse 17. Jesus' response is surprising. "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you." What? They can't rejoice? They are so excited about the great things they have done in His name, but Jesus doesn't want them to rejoice. Why? Could it be that the danger of boasting lurked? The Apostle Paul warns a lot about boasting, so that's definitely something we need to be cautious about. Or maybe the 70 focused too much on the spectacular things that happened, losing sight of what really mattered? That certainly is a pitfall, even today. Our hearts are prone to excitement about miracles, signs, and wonders. Yes, these occur in the work of God's kingdom, but they are not objectives in themselves. Jesus teaches us what really matters. He says, "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." What really matters is that Jesus has brought us salvation through His death and resurrection. Jesus has opened the entrance to heaven for us. Through Him, our names are in the Book of Life. That is our paramount source of joy! Anything else, however exciting, is subordinate to the unfathomable miracle of eternal salvation. Let us rejoice that our names are written in heaven, and may we be instruments in the Lord's hands to add more names to the Book of Life so that His house may be filled (Luke 14:23)! By Anton de Vreugd, Bible League International staff, the Netherlands Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingNumbers 32, 33 Numbers 32 -- Reubenites and Gadites Settle in Gilead NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Numbers 33 -- Summary of Israel's Journey NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Mark 10:1-31 Mark 10 -- Divorce; Let the little children; Rich Young Ruler; Jesus Predicts His Death; James and John's Request; Blind Bart NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion For he issued his laws to Jacob;he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, Insight God commanded that the stories of his mighty acts in Israel's history—and his laws—be passed on from parents to children. This shows the purpose and importance of religious education: to help each generation obey God and set its hope on him. It is important to keep children from repeating the same mistakes as their ancestors. Challenge What are you doing to pass on the history of God's work to the next generation? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house.Sheba's queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon's table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board. But what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore. Though the host that feed at Jehovah's table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy's banquet are satisfied, nay, more "abundantly satisfied;" and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God's own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah's wings. I once thought if I might but get the broken meat at God's back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the woman who said, "The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table;" but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king's own table. In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin's mess--we all have ten times more than we could have expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy. Daily Light on the Daily Path Genesis 49:15 "When he saw that a resting place was good And that the land was pleasant, He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, And became a slave at forced labor.James 5:10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Job 2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Leviticus 10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'" So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. 1 Samuel 3:18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him." Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Isaiah 53:4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. • "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. • "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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