Luke 10:17-20- "And the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.'"
I can relate to the seventy. I can only begin to imagine their absolute excitement over what they had seen and been a part of. Their joy must have been almost uncontainable as they recounted their day to Jesus!
"Jesus, you will never believe what happened! Wow! It was so awesome! We were casting out demons left and right.....and they had to listen to us! It is so great to see you perform these miracles, but now we are able to do it too. It is so awesome to be a part of what you are doing! This is so exciting!"
They must have been on fire and bubbling over with excitement. I can imagine them high-fiving and slapping each other's backs. They were stoked! :)
It is exciting to be a part of what God is doing and to experience Him working through us! That is a reason to rejoice, for sure! However, Jesus was quick to point the seventy back to what really was important....their own personal salvation. He reminded them that their joy and celebration must come, not so much from what they are doing, but from the relationship they have with their Heavenly Father and that their names have been recorded in heaven.
It is all about my relationship with Christ and that is where my joy needs to be found. It is so simple and freeing and yet it is the simpleness of it that becomes my downfall.......because if I am not careful, I quickly loose sight. The "excitement" wears off, my daily time with Him becomes just another thing to do. I take Jesus and my salvation in Him for granted, and I begin look for the next exciting ride. Ouch! This hurt the first time God spoke it to me and hurts again to type it out for others to read.
As I am learning more about this, I am realizing that if my joy is found in Jesus and in the glorious gift of His salvation, then I am able to stand firm no matter what comes my way. Because my joy is no longer dependent on life's circumstances, which change so quickly, but my joy is found in Jesus Christ who never changes! It has been hard for me to wrap my head around this. I have found myself easily being swayed by life's circumstances and each time Jesus reminds me to find my joy in Him. I have yet to perfect it and daily find myself falling short. But, like Paul says in Philippians, I will press on toward the goal!
Joy found in Christ Jesus comes in remembering what He did for me. The excitement is rooted in daily realizing the blessing and gift I have of being intimate with the risen Saviour who desires me and loves me. My joy is made complete, not in the task He has given me to do or called me to. I can do "His will" all day long, but if I am not walking intimately with Jesus than doing "His will" will amount to a heap of rubble in my life.
Father, it is my desire to find my joy in you. You are the joy of my salvation! You are never changing. The circumstances of my life often change, but they cannot change my salvation in You. My salvation and life in you is steadfast. I want to stand firm in you daily. I want to have your joy daily, no matter how grouchy my children are, no matter whether my work gets done, no matter whether my plans get changed.......Teach me to live a joy filled life.
