...rejoicing

  "Misplaced Rejoicing"

                  Lk. 10:17-20 

I was sixteen years old when I preached my first message.  I thank God for those gracious people who heard me.  As I recall, I thought I had 45 minutes’ worth of preaching in me,  but I was done in about ten minutes.  During those early years, God in His grace did use me in some very wonderful ways, but there were times it went to my head.  Almost always  God would cause me to fall on my face and remind me, “Hey Buddy, it’s not all about you, I used you.”

You know, it’s silly how we’re often proud of what God does through us.  The disciples struggled with this too.  Luke chapter 10 includes the account of Jesus sending out 70 of His faithful followers.  Jesus told them what to do, and they came back fired up. God used them in a tremendous way.  Yet, I really believe that they kind of owned a  little bit of that blessing.

Luke chapter 10, verse 17, says, “The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!’” 

Listen to Jesus’ response in verse 20, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

In other words, Jesus is saying, “Hey look, you ought to be happy that I salvaged your life.  It’s a wonderful privilege that a Holy God would use you in ministry at all. It’s not about you; it’s all about God.”  God does through us that which He has done  for us.  It keeps us dependent upon Him and grateful.

Here’s what I want you to remember today.  We are most useful to God when we remember that God does it all and when we marvel that He would use us at all.  That’s something to rejoice about!

-crawford loritts