“²⁰Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” — Luke 10:20 (ESV)

Jesus is speaking to the seventy-two He had sent out to spread the gospel. As they returned they were excited for the work they had done, and rightly so as they had spread the gospel well in the name of the Lord. Jesus was excited for the work they did, and wanted them to be happy in it, but not for the reasons they were excited for, but for the destination they were headed to.

“¹⁷The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” — Luke 10:17 (ESV)

You see the seventy-two were excited for the fact that they had power over the demons and were looked upon as authority figures as they went in the name of Christ. And, they did have the authority that was given them by Christ as they were sent out. But that was not the focus of them being sent. It was not the authority that Jesus sent, it was them to bring the gospel to the people and reach them where Jesus was unable to physically be at all times.

I know that I am human and will deal with the human element at all times. One of those elements is the thirst for power and authority. Too often I find myself in the situation where I am surrounded by those that are so interested in their authority that they miss out on the real reason they are there, to serve and reach a destination. It is when that thirst is the only thing on the mind, that things go awry.

I am sent into this world to do the will of God and to spread the gospel where I am led. God gives me authority to do just that work and I must embrace that authority and use it when the “need” arises. I have to remember though, it is not about the authority, but the bringing of the gospel that is my task. I am to rejoice in the fact that my final destination is heaven and in getting there it is my duty to bring the gospel to all of those I come in contact. I rejoice in the destination, not in the power and authority I have been given to take the journey in reaching that destination.

What are you rejoicing in when you are given authority? Do you find yourself wheeling your authority at every turn and rejoicing in the idea that people take your authority and power seriously? What if you rejoiced instead in the destination of heaven that is at the end of your journey and used your authority in the name of Christ to spread the gospel?

I ask myself, what was it that drew you to your wife? It was her kind and loving heart, fun loving spirit, and her beauty. Since that was what drew me to her, why would I desire to stray from her.

“¹⁸Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,” — Proverbs 5:18 (ESV)

And there it is. Instruction from God’s Word, “rejoice in the wife of your youth”. Lori and I have been married for over 25 years and the reason we married has not changed. She is still the one with the kind and loving heart, fun loving spirit, and full of beauty. Recently I had the opportunity to again witness all of that as she was caring for her 99 yr old grandfather. He requires assistance in all that he is and does and Lori never turned away from him. She leaned in to give him what he needed. It was again wonderful to see and be part of as she demonstrated a complete act of servitude without requiring anything in return.

As I look and marvel at Lori, I can on rejoice in the fact that she is in my life and I know that if/when the time comes for me to be cared for, and loved in such a way as to potentially burden her, she will not turn away. She will be the one at the front of the line giving that which is needed.

I am blessed to have Lori and I will rejoice in her each day. I will care for her and provide for her as she has done so selfishly for the past 25 years. I will lift her up to the place of honor she belongs and will work to remember the reasons I was drawn to her and rejoice in those.

What is it that drew you to your significant other? Are you aware of them today even some time later? What if you rejoiced in what it was that drew you to them then, and looked to continue rejoicing in them today?

“²⁴This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

I know, this verse is quoted often and usually I hear it in the church or in times of great joy. But what about the regular or difficult days?

When I look here at this verse and passage, I am reminded that we are to rejoice in all days and all situations. All things, days, and situations are breathed out by God and I have to be joyful in God, therefore I am to be joyful in all things, days, and situations.

“²²The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ²³This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” — Psalm 118:22-23 (ESV)

Notice in the two verses that precede the first I have quoted. There are stones rejected by builders that God has greater plans for, such as being the cornerstone of other buildings. Those stones were just not meant for that building and did not fit the mold of what the builder was looking for in materials. Just as with the stones and builders, there are those rejected by society that seem to not fit the mold of those in that society. God will use those in His plans and may even have them set for being the cornerstone of His kingdom here in this world.

I have to believe that God has a plan for me in this world. Regardless of the thing, day, situation that I find myself in, God will be there and I have to remember to be joyful in Him. I will find myself beat down and discarded by society or jobs or groups, and regardless of those situations, God will be right there with me to pick me up and place me where He wants me to thrive and be His example. God will always be there to provide value to my existence even when rejected or discarded.

Knowing that God will be there to pick me up and give me His great value, it is for me to rejoice in all things, days, and situations. I should not just rejoice in the presence of other Christians in the church building. I should not just rejoice in the times when things in life are going well and “as planned”. I should be rejoicing at the fact that God is with me to pick me up and use me for His kingdom and His glory.

What is your thoughts of when to rejoice? Are you like most and rejoicing when it is “right” to do so, like in church or when things are going great? What if you were to rejoice always in all things, days, and situations because you are rejoicing in God’s presence and His using you for His kingdom and His glory?

“⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.” — Psalm 51:8 (ESV)

I read this verse and what I see is that I have been broken down in my transgressions. I have repented and God gives me joy.

I have to say, that I am not broken and I am not talking about that which leads to depression and other maladies in lives. I am speaking of the full and complete understanding of where I am and all that I have done. I have taken responsibility for that which I have done and sought repentance for them, either with those I have wronged and God. I am now looking to turn to the something that is ahead and am leaving the past there, in the past.

I am forgiven. I am saved. I am renewed in God. Now that I am broken, I have the capacity for joy. God fills me with His joy and I am able to rejoice in the fullness of His love.

What are you holding on to? Are you fighting to stay where you are? What if you were to take responsibility, relieve yourself of the pain of holding on, repented, and allowed God to fill you up with joy?

“¹⁰Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. ¹¹Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” — Psalm 32:10-11 (ESV)

I read here and only see part of the story. What is it that allows me to trust God and what is it that gives me the ability to rejoice and shout for joy? It is being “upright in heart”, but how to get there is the question I have to ask.

“¹Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. ⁵I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” — Psalm 32:1 & 5 (ESV)

And there you have it. I confess and acknowledge my sin to the LORD. I cannot reach the point of joy if I am still holding onto all of the sin in my life. I have to let it out and allow God to take them away from me. Jesus has already accepted responsibility and atoned for my sin, now it is my duty to accept responsibility by giving them over to God. He will forgive me, all I have to do is lay them at His feet. There is nothing more for me to do other than genuinely confess and acknowledge that I am a sinner and God will take it away from me.

Once I have confessed, God allows for my heart to be filled with Him. Once filled with God, joy will overflow and spill out of me. I have been forgiven and as such, I am now open to joy and rejoicing. I have been given the chance to be upright through repentance and joy fills and overflows from that place where sin once was.

What are you holding onto that may be preventing you from experiencing or expressing joy? Are you looking for something that will give you joy? What if you just emptied your heart of the sin by confessing and repenting and allowed God to fill and overflow from the place where sin once was?

“¹¹Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” — Psalm 2:11 (ESV)

What does it mean to “rejoice with trembling”? Well, for me and what I believe to be here in this verse is that I should be in such awe that as I rejoice, my whole body is overcome and becomes uncontrollable with shaking. I am so caught up in my joy that my body shakes with nervousness and all of my senses are heightened to crave the presence of God.

I have been in position of trembling before, when meeting a celebrity or someone that is bigger than life, at least in my eyes. There is a full body nervousness that generates quivers and perspiration and apprehension. These are not bad, they are just heightened awareness to the situation.

If I will get this way for those in this world that I deem “important”, shouldn’t I be even more so with God who is that important? YES! I have to remember that the things of this world are fleeting and only temporary. I should be giving praise to God and rejoicing in His name and trembling with awe as to Him and all that He is.

When you are rejoicing in the Lord, what is your bodily state? Are you calm and seemingly going through the motions? What if you were in total awe of God and that awe took over your body as you rejoice, trembling?

I know, why would I be writing something that we already know, “God Sent Jesus”? Well I think that I need reminding sometimes. Not that I need reminding that Jesus is my savior. Not that I need reminding that Jesus died for my sins so that I would not have to experience that death. The reminder is that “God Sent Jesus” for those purposes, knowing full well what would happen.

“³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” — Romans 8:3-4 (ESV)

God Sent Jesus to die for me so that I would not have to. He gave up the life of His son intentionally to ensure that would be able to live on in this world. I have been given the second chance that all wish to have in life.

What a concept that, who have sons, find almost impossible to think about and embrace. The giving of my sons for the life of others. The intentional sending of my sons to die in the place of others. Sacrificing their lives so that others would have the opportunity to continue with the lives of their own. Thankfully, God does not require that of any of us. In fact, there is an instance where God did ask that of someone, Abraham to give Isaac, in sacrifice. And even in that instance, God spared Isaac and the actions of Abraham, not requiring the sacrifice at all.

God Sent Jesus to fulfill the punishment for sin. Jesus took on all of our sin and died thanks to God’s divine intervention in our lives to spare us difficulty and tragedy of sacrificing our sons for our own salvation. God Sent Jesus for me.

What is your view of the coming of Jesus on this world? Are you thinking of the idea that God Sent Jesus? What if we looked at it from the perspective of “God Sent Jesus” as opposed to Jesus coming, what does it do to how you look at the salvation offered by the death of Jesus?

“²¹Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’” — John 20:21 (ESV)

I find it soothing to know that I am not tasked with something that has been tested to be true and working. Jesus was sent for a purpose to this world and I am following, sent by Him to continue the work He started. I am sent to do His work as He has moved to prepare for my arrival in heaven at a future time.

Jesus is my example of what is to be done. He appeared to the disciples and explained this to them and as it is written in His Holy Book, it is there for me to read, digest, understand, and perform. I am sent for His purpose and not my own. And that word, sent, is right. I am not here of and on my own. I was sent here and am tasked with doing His work.

I have written that God sends us knowing what we will endure, and here we see the reason for that. Jesus endured in His life and ministry in this world. We will do the same and that is and should be known to all of us. Our endurance is possible as Jesus was able to and so should we.

I am here, not for my own work and pleasure, but for the work and pleasure of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. I am here to listen and follow His direction in my life. I am here to go when sent and know that I will be able to endure any and all that comes my way.

What does your life of being sent look like? Are you even aware that you are being sent by Jesus and your task is to continue His work? What if you were to approach things from the perspective of doing the work of Jesus as opposed to your own?

“¹⁶Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” — Matthew 10:16 (ESV)

I read these words from Jesus and at first I am a bit taken aback at how pointed they are. Jesus is telling the apostles that He is sending them out into the danger zone. The apostles are going to be on the front lines and not sitting back in the comfort and protection of the leadership tent. They will be out among those that will have the direct opportunity to act on and harm them.

Jesus knows the adversity that we are to face daily in our relationship with Him. Whereas I find the verse above a bit of a shock at first read, it is only after I contemplate the reason for the verse and the additional instruction from Jesus, that I am comforted to the point of going and taking on the challenges that come with that relationship with Him.

“¹⁹When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” — Matthew 10:19-20 (ESV)

I now see that Jesus was not just sending them out to be slaughtered, He was preparing them for the adversity and then reminding them that they have everything the need to overcome.

Jesus sends me out into the world to shine His light on all the world. I am to go and do His will in everything. I am also to know that it will not be easy and that there are those that are out to destroy me. But, He has also provided me with all that I need to withstand and overcome the acts and those that perform them against me and Him. I am prepared and have to remember and know that I am ready.

God sends me out to do His will and it is my duty to go. I have all I need and know that He is only sending me because He knows I am ready and that He will be with me every step of the way.

What are your feelings about being sent out into the world to the “wolves”? Are you anxious enough that you are reluctant to go and looking for all reasons why not to go? What if you took the approach that God is sending your knowing you are ready, have all that you need, and that He will be with you every step of the way?

“¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” — 1 Corinthians 1:17 (ESV)

Paul writes to the Church at Corinth and here he lets them know the reason he was sent to them in the first place. Yes, he may have done a little bit of baptism while there and that should not be forgotten and should be remembered in that he was baptizing in the name of God, not of his own accord. But his reason for being there was to “preach the gospel” to those in need of hearing it, and that is all.

I know, at this time what my mission is and that is where my focus is each and every day. If something else comes of it in that time that I am carrying out my mission, then so be it, but I want to be remembered for the work that I did in the work to complete my mission. I was sent to teach and improve lives through growth and learning. When I am focused on that mission and purpose, I will accomplish more than if I was just trying to get the grass mowed.

I am a proponent of doing that which you love so that you do not have to work a day in your life. I love the work of improving lives of others and for me it does not feel like work, only a workout fulfilling my mission. In my work, I have been able to touch others in ways that I may not have had I only been interested in doing my job and caring for myself. I will say that I may not be getting the outward recognition or acknowledgment for the work I am doing as others may not understand the work that I do or the reasons I do them. Where that may not be very fun to see others getting propped up for the simplest of things that they have done one time, I will still continue to be the example of what right looks like in fulfilling my mission with or without any notice by others.

God sends each of us for a purpose. We have certain tasks and roles to take on and fulfill. It is not our role to question the validity of them, only to fulfill them. But first we have to recognize that which we are sent for. We, like Paul, have to know what it is we are working toward and focus on that and that alone in all that we do.

What is it that you were sent by God to do? Are you even aware of what your mission and purpose are? What if you were to sit and determine your mission and purpose and then strive each day to fulfill just that, regardless of the end consequences or notice others may have of you?