June 11 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Luke 10:1-20:

¹After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
²Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
³Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
⁴Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
⁵And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
⁶And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
⁷And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
⁸And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
⁹And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
¹⁰But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
¹¹Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
¹²But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
¹³Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
¹⁴But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
¹⁵And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.
¹⁶He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
¹⁷And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
¹⁸And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
¹⁹Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
²⁰Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Devotional

Besides the twelve apostles Jesus had "appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." It was but natural that they re­joiced in the power they possessed over the evil spirits. Christ had given them also "power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Was that not great! such mighty power over the devil and evil spirits? and being immune from all hurtful things? Yet, there was one thing that was of greater cause for rejoicing, than all the things mentioned above. A thing that the seventy at the time did not think of, and that we also are so prone to forget; namely, "that our names are written in heaven." That means that God has received us as his children, and made us heirs of eternal life, and made a record of it in heaven by writing our names in the book of life. We are come "to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written (enrolled) in heaven." Think of it! And when we think of it, can there be anything more satisfying, more comforting, and a greater cause for joy, than that our names are written in the Lamb's book of life? "In that book white and fair, Is your name written there?"

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, help us to realize the vanity of all temporal and earthly things, and may the eternal and heavenly things become more real to us. May the fact that we are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb fill our hearts with abiding joy. May Thy Spirit bear witness with our spirit, that we are children of Thine and heirs of eternal life. Grant us power to resist the devil, so that he may not rob us of our joy in the Lord, but may flee from us, and may Thy abiding presence be with us. For Christ's sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Luke 10:1, 17, 19; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 21:27.

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