“When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord even the demons obey us when we use your name!”
“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! And I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. BUT don’t rejoice just because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered as citizens of heaven.”
– Luke 10:17-20
Here’s how God is breaking this one down for me, “Rusty, don’t rejoice in what you “DO” or what you have “DONE”; rejoice in who you “ARE”! Yeah, it’s great what you’ve “DONE” these past seven months, BUT your identity comes from “BEING” a beloved son of God – nothing else.” And my friends, we are children of the most high God. That’s all that matters. Not all this “DOING”.
God has been putting this realization all over me the last couple weeks. And that’s because He’s about to take me down an exciting, yet hugely challenging path over the next year. So, naturally, I’ve gotten all whigged out about everything I’ve gotta “DO” and everything that needs to be “DONE.” Heck, I think I’ve literally made out like three to “DO” lists. However, in the middle of all this, have I been seeking Him? Have I been truly laying all these concerns at the cross? Have I been spending large amounts of time in prayer? Any quiet time? Uh let’s see here, the answers are; Not really, No, Not too much, and barely! And that’s when God says, “Well there you go Rusty, you’re trying to do it all on your own strength, I thought this last year has shown you that your strength is insuffient and it just flat out sucks!” HA! Amen Father! I love it that God is a blunt dude!
So I say all that to say this, my joy needs to come from belonging to the Lord. It cannot come from “DOING!” God doesn’t need me to “DO” anything! Besides “DOING” just stresses me out!
Now in terms of the hugely challenging path the Lord has laid in front of me, I’ll have to get back with ya’ll on that:)
