Devotional: Luke 10:17-20

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

As the seventy-two disciples of Jesus came back from different towns, they were filled with joy at what they had experienced. Jesus, however, calls out on what they should be rejoicing about. 

If you have been a Christ follower for some time, there are invariably a few situations in your life where you have experienced God’s provision and involvement. And even though those are great blessings, we tend to find more joy, or be more amazed by those than our relationship with God. Jesus gives us a reminder that our true blessing and source of joy is not in the fact that our lives are safe, successful or prosperous, but in the fact that our names are written in heaven—meaning that we have a loving relationship with the Lord Most High.