Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10 v.20
In Luke. Chapter 10 we have the account of Jesus appointing and sending out 72 additional disciples to prepare the way in the places he was about to visit. Their brief was as follows.
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. V.2-3
He added a number of specific instructions as to how they should conduct themselves in the verses that follow but I want to draw attention today to what Jesus said to them on their return.
They were bubbling over with what they had been able to do. ‘Lord even the demons submit to us in your name’. Jesus then confirms the impact that their ministry had had in the heavenly realms. V.18 and confirms for them the heavenly power that is available to them. V.19
But then he says something of which we must take careful not and which should temper our thinking.
Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. V.20
Much ink has been spilt over the years as to the place of ‘supernatural’ gifts and perhaps particularly the ‘dramatic’ ones as in this passage but we should take careful note of Jesus’ priority which is that your name is written in heaven. When that is the baseline and when we know that we are ‘in Christ’ then as we go about our work in the harvest field he will equip us for our specific circumstances. Any results are his doing. All we need is to have our names written in heaven and be obedient and faithful. Then we have the proper perspective and do not need to be seeking other than that with he equips us.
Go about your kingdom business today with that great liberating truth in mind.