Today’s Reading:
Luke 10:17-24 (20)
"But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you, rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." (v. 20 NLT)
Earlier in this in the chapter before us today, Jesus had equipped seventy of his followers with authority and power, and sent them out two-by-two on intensive campaign to selected places he would later visit, probably on the other side of Jordan (v. 1; Matt. 19:1; Mk. 10:1). Specifically, instructing them that the harvest is great, but the workers are few. They should pray the Lord of harvest to send more workers to his field, heal the sick and preach the nearness of the Kingdom. He told them He was sending them out as ‘lambs in the midst of wolves’. Meaning they should be careful because they would certainly meet with opposition (vv. 2-16).
They returned to Jesus elated by the success they witness, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name’. Jesus confirmed this that he saw Satan fall to the ground like lighting and shared in their joy (vv.17-18). Jesus then helped them to get their priorities right about heaven by reminding them that the most important victory a believer should seek is for heaven to recognise his or her and write the name in the register in heaven. “But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” (v. 20). This honour is more important than any other accomplishment.
“Look I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.” The power and authority to believers to defeat and crush the power of Satan and his cohorts is good but being able to caste out demons is not enough qualification for our names to be written in the Book of Life. If we want to rejoice, it should be that we know and belong to the saviour and that our names are written in heaven. But when we need to deal with wicked spirits, we should deal with them in the power and authority of the name of Jesus Christ. We should not seek to place too much emphasis of our life of faith on this.
The emphasis of our ministry is not to boast on our spiritual or physical achievements. But being grateful to God for making spiritual truth available to all. We are to thank God for having equal access to Jesus Christ, both rich and poor, old and young, illiterate and literate. Because our societal norm is for the elites, the influential, the rich, the intelligent, the famous and the powerful to have it all. But the Kingdom is available to all and sundry, regardless of status, education, ability, position, creed, or colour. We are all to rely on the grace of God and approach Jesus with a child-like trust. This will eliminate spiritual pride.
Olufunmilayo Titilola Adekusibe
Prayer:
Father, thank you for a child-like trust in Jesus Christ; thank you for the knowledge that the Kingdom is open to anyone who believes and humbly come to Jesus.
Father establish me as a holy person unto you, in Jesus name.
Father, that I may know Christ, and the power of His resurrect, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, in Jesus name.
Father let your anointing to excel in my spiritual land physical life fall on me, in Jesus.
Father uproot everything you have not planted in your Church and revive your Pentecostal power and fire, in Jesus name.
Father pull down evil stronghold, destroy wicked altars and shrine working against the progress of our nation and expose the enemies of our nation, in Jesus name.