Listen to Devotion

[Jesus said] “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

I would be happy if I could confront any snake without fear of being bitten. That would clear up a bit of anxiety in my life. And when it comes to scorpions, it would be great not to have to check my shoes in the morning with some worry about what crawled in there at night. If I could overcome all the temptations of the devil and be certain of my power to exorcise someone who is demon possessed, that would be splendid.

When Jesus sent out his disciples to teach people that he had come into the world, he gave his disciples all that authority. They didn’t have to worry about snakes or scorpions or even demons. Those evil spirits submitted to them!

But when they returned from that temporary mission, Jesus advised them to rejoice about something even more important. Through faith in Jesus, their sins were forgiven. They were going to heaven!

We rejoice in the authority we have as believers. We rejoice when spectacular things happen in our lives. But we rejoice the most that God has made us members of his family, and that our names are written in heaven.

Lord God, thank you for the assurance that I am on the road to eternal life with you through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.