Reading
SAA Notes
The early manuscripts of the Bible are fairly evenly divided as to whether the number is 70 or 72. Either way we are meant to see the connection with the Old Testament. Jacob had 70 descendants who came into Egypt with him. The nation of Israel had 70 elders in their national council. Jesus is forming a New Israel and sends them out to call people into the coming Kingdom! His Kingdom will prevail!
SJA Notes
* Dear God, Your word is food for every part of our lives. Please feed us with the bread of life today.
“Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
We so often get things backwards, even in service of our King.
Power is seductive.
Power for believers is just as much a temptation as for non-believers.
Imagine the power to cast out evil spirits and heal diseases! To have such an important impact, a wielding of such authority that even the spirit world listened, even the biological world obeyed.
Imagine that!
But again, we exclaim at the wrong thing. We focus on the power itself, instead of the one who gave the power (and the reason why it was given).
We look to the power as a motivator.
“Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
You and I can get into the same sort of mischief, the same thinking process.
Having power over people is not to be grasped for, and if we do have it, not to be rejoiced over. It is not to be our motivation!
Instead, that our names are in the Lamb’s book of life – This is what matters!
* God Above,
Please help us listen to Your word to us today.
Please help us to seek first the kingdom of God.
Please help us have the correct and right motivations.
Thank You Lord!
Amen.