Thursday 3 Jul 2008

Thursday Reading: Luke 10:17-20
 
Key Verse: Luke 10:20
20  Yet do not rejoice in this, that the evil spirits are subject to you, rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.
 
Devotion:
Jesus appointed seventy people to go into the various cities that He was going to visit and in setting them this task He gave them the power to bless and heal; but most important was the message that they had to tell that Christ was coming soon to their city. When those seventy returned they were astonished by what they had done when it was done in Christ’s name. Jesus gave them a stark warning… Don’t let it get to your heads!
 
Pride can bring down anyone. It is what brought down Satan in the beginning as Jesus used him as an example. Yes, if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move a mountain, but if we are going to show off or abuse that power that God gives us then we are working against the very name of Jesus. We are given the power to do things in Jesus’ name because He wants others to see that He is our God; we are not given the power to show how good we are. We are the ones who are the sinners, we are the ones who continue in our life of sin… but that should not stop us from doing things in Christ’s name. If He was able to take sinners back then and make them do wonders in His name, then what is the difference between then and now?
 
Time has changed the world that we live in, not just because everything is modern, but because of the way that people act and the way that they expect things to happen. There are so many things that we can do now that could not be done back then. There are so many modern appliances to give us physical comforts. We expect people to act according to rules we have come up with. Society is putting God into the background so that they can do their own things thinking that they have been able to conquer so many things that they must be good enough now. God is the one that can give out the power, He alone is the one that has all the power; we are simply instruments that can be used to show others of God’s power. Let us never forget that. Let us never forget He is the one that allows us to get to heaven!
 
Points to Ponder:
What has been your biggest accomplishment in life so far?
 
How are you glorifying God for what He has done through you?