Elation

‎Friday, ‎April ‎9, ‎2021

Good Morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Hebrews 1:3

(Jesus)...who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Memory of the month:  And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" —Luke 24:32

Today's reading: 1 SAMUEL 13-14 LUKE 10:1-24

Elation

Jesus said, "Don’t be elated that evil spirits leave when you say to leave. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20

Jesus had sent His followers out to preach the gospel and they returned so excited. They had seen great things done in Jesus' name but out there without Jesus in person. They were so amazed at it all and came back telling great stories about how the evil spirits had run away from them. Jesus let them know that this was all great but that all this was not really the point.

"...that your names are written in Heaven"-this is the point.

We all may be able to walk on vipers and not be harmed. We all may be able to go anywhere and spread the gospel but the main thing must be remembered: Our names are written in Heaven.

"But," you say, "We must rejoice at God's power over the evil in this world and the fact that He is using us". This is true. But, we must remember what this is all about and it is not us or even our victories. It is not about how 'spiritual' we become and how much we can accomplish.

If we ever lose touch with the reality of what God has done in our hearts and souls, we lose touch with the reason we are out there in Jesus' name. When that happens, we can begin to forget that we are empowered by God to tell others how they can get their names written in Heaven.

Pride or 'vain glory' can quietly ease in the excitement over victories.

1 John 2:16 ►For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.

Ephesians 4:27 ►and do not give the devil a foothold.

We would have 600 plus teenagers in camp for a week in the old days. Most would come not very excited about missing their lives for a week and then leave with their feet off the ground excited about what had happened with them and all their new friends. Most fires soon went out because they had to go back and be 'normal'.

On a mission trip, fifty ago, we got on our knees in the rain and mud and asked God to send sunshine so we could get the ditch dug and I opened my eyes and stood up to see sunshine coming through the clouds. My grandpa told about the prayer meeting for rain to end the drought and they had to drive the wagon home in a hard rain.

There are stories upon stories of God's power on the earth but no story is greater than one soul-one new name being written in Heaven.

Luke 15:10 ►In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

The Bible never says that there is rejoicing over anything that happens here except for the repentant soul. The soul that kneels and confesses to God and is born again is Heaven's reason for elation.

Do we know this elation? Could be that we have allowed the world and all its pleasures or worries to 'sin us up' for so long-one second is too much.

Are you 'sinned-up' or confessed up. One of these causes celebration in Heaven. If confessing our sin causes celebration in Heaven, what does it cause here in your heart?

Your name is written in Heaven! Get a grip on that! Let that thought bring you elation that is so great you cannot keep it to yourself. This is all real. It is personal. This happens between you and God Almighty.

Who do know whose name may or may not be written in Heaven because you have been so 'self-aware' you have not asked-because you have not spoken of your own name there?

Rejoice with the Heavenly beings when you find out...

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for letting my fear and pride get in the way of realizing the miracle of my own name in Heaven and not letting it be known and not letting them know of Jesus.

Long suffering God and merciful Master,

In the name of Jesus,

Amen