Christ selected seventy men to visit the underprivileged towns of Perea. Their assignment was to prepare hearts to receive the Lord. They were equipped with special powers to heal the physically sick. Crutches were abandoned; bandages were torn off; stretchers were folded up and sent to storage; white canes were returned to the Institute for the Blind, and arthritic hands nimbly knit socks again. But things went even better than they had expected. They seemed surprised and delighted that they were empowered to exorcise demons as well.

Now they are returning to report on their activities. Look at their beaming faces. They’re not dragging their feet in discouragement. They are probably walking briskly. They can hardly wait to share the results with their Master. Now they have arrived, and the attentive Christ listens as they give their missionary report with excitement and joy.

They were definitely on a high. Pumped. Thrilled and ready for more action. But Christ gently nudges them to refocus. When the results of our service become the source of our joy, the needle in our ‘joy-gauge’ will oscillate wildly, swinging from right to left, yes, even overnight.  “No,” Jesus said, “don’t be rejoicing because you had power to cast out demons, but be joyful because your names are indelibly inscribed in the Register of Heaven.”

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”  Luke 10:19-20

Our activities for Christ are not always consistent. We have our ups and downs. Good days and bad. Our own failures sometimes hinder the results. Not everything accomplished for the Lord is visible to human eyes. If our joy depends on what only our eyes can see or on what we can do, or based on what we can produce, then our joy will fluctuate wildly – up and down like a yo-yo.

Don’t tether your joy to your service or successes. Anchor your joy in your security in Christ.

Jesus said to focus on the fact that your name is written in Heaven. There’s no uncertainty or unpredictability in that unchangeable fact. It’s a constant – not a variable. You are a full-fledged citizen of Heaven, even though your feet are still on earth. My own inconsistencies, bouts of slackness and failure have no effect on that ‘constant.’ That most critical fact depends on the faithfulness of Christ – not my own faithfulness. That fact depends on the ‘effectiveness’ of Christ’s work for me 2000 years ago, not the ‘effectiveness’ of my own work. Anchor your joy in that fact!

You have eternal life through Christ and because of Christ. You may never have your name calligraphed on your nation’s highest honour scroll or in history books either. Your name may never be inscribed on a bronze plaque to hang on a marble wall. But this should give you a boost every time you think of it: your name has been entered in the register of Heaven – beyond the reach of hackers and identity thieves. It can’t be stolen or accidentally deleted. It’s permanent. There forever. The Lamb’s Book of Life. Praise the Lord. Rejoice.

My name is written there. Is yours?

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ,

Peter Ramsay

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