Saturday February 3, 2024

Luke 10:20
“Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

We know about the twelve apostles, but Jesus had seventy other disciples who walked with Him and whom He sent on a ministry tour in Luke 10. In verse 17, these seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” Jesus acknowledged their success but gave a gentle warning. Their joy should be based on more than their perceived success; it should rest in the simple fact that their names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Ministry is a difficult task, the results of which are not always immediate or obvious. If we base our morale on visible success, we may become proud of our accomplishments or discouraged over momentary setbacks or prolonged struggles. Whatever we’re doing for the Lord, however great or small, the Lord expects us to be faithful regardless of the setting and outcome—and to rejoice in one thing above all: our names are written in heaven!

All believers are through grace . . . enrolled among His family;
now this is a matter of joy, greater joy than casting out devils.
MATTHEW HENRY

David Jeremiah, Turning Points with God: 365 Daily Devotions (Tyndale, 2014)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.