Rejoice and Rejoice

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

REJOICE AND REJOICE

Luke 10:17-20

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

NIV

First, we need to grasp that picture Jesus described to the seventy-two. He was there in heaven where Lucifer thought he was greater then God, which would have been Jesus as He is God, and it was the Father, the Son and the Spirit who threw Lucifer from heaven. We also see that Lucifer came to earth in such a flash, like lighting. It is interesting the preposition like, or in the manner, is in the Greek. Therefore, it was his falling from heaven that was in the manner of lighting, and when we see lighting at night, it is quick, a flash and then it is gone. But now that fallen Lucifer has been given that name Satan. However, Jesus gave them, and it would be right to say that would include us today, the authority to trample of snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy and that nothing will harm us. We have the full armor of God and if we dress ourselves in it, which means not trying to overcome the enemy on our own, but living with the armor of God in place, we are able to stand our ground against all the dark forces of evil. Although this is a wonderful and mighty way to live in this life being an overcomer of all the forces of evil and we can rejoice because we have this authority from God, which gives us this ability to take our stand against evil, Jesus said there is something far better for us to rejoice about. Jesus said that we should not rejoice that the evil spirits submit to us but rejoice because our names are written in heaven. Wow, just thinking, our names are written in heaven.  It has to be Jesus who wrote the name of Rich, and your names in that book. How glorious is that! The day we stand in the presence of our almighty God, standing before his throne, which is also His judgement seat, Jesus will open that Book, and read the names He had written in it, our names. When we hear our name read out loud for all of heaven to hear, we will also hear, come my good and faithful servant, enter into my rest. We will be ushered into the glory of God, into that place, that paradise, that Jesus prepared for us. That is something to rejoice about, in fact, that is reason to live a rejoicing life ever day we are still here. We live with this anticipation of that day, yet while we are here, we do that which we have been made to do, being the image of God. When God decided to make man, they made us in their image. So, we are made to reflect the image of God, to be an image bearer of God. If we took the time to ponder on how that should look, we might need a book instead of these short thoughts. Nevertheless, two responses are needed. First, if we are to live rejoicing, that would mean not living with a downtrodden continence, one of complaining, or with envy, jealousy, hatred and all those other negative things in life. But secondly, we should be living knowing our names are written down in heaven, and that we are His image to the world. So, we rejoice and again we rejoice, and rejoice and rejoice.