Luke 10 - 4.16.24

SCRIPTURE:  Luke 10:1-3  "After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent them ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself was about to go.  He told them: "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.  Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.  Now go: I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves."

OBSERVATION:  This gospel is a letter from Luke to Theophilus, who was likely a Roman Gentile. Jesus knew His time was short before His crucifixion, and that there were many villages that had not yet heard His message, so He appointed 70 of His disciples to go on ahead of Him to prepare the places where He was about to go.  He told them to PRAY TO THE LORD OF THE HARVEST TO SEND OUT LABORERS INTO HIS HARVEST.

The need for prayer before is vitally important, and it demonstrates that we are open and receptive to God's guidance, wisdom, and direction.  He told His disciples to GO as LAMBS AMONG WOLVES. 

When Jesus sends us to bear witness to Him in the world, He doesn't send us out as dominant and strong, but as weak and defenseless in ourselves. But... since ALL power and authority has been given to Jesus, that makes us fully equipped as His followers as we go out and solely rely on His Spirit to guide and protect us in HIS power, wisdom, and strength.  They were told to go out and tell the people that the kingdom of God had come near them.

To those who have been born-again, Jesus is within us, and among us, and wherever we go, He is there as we walk in His kingdom authority!  We have been given authority in Jesus' name to do the same things the apostles were able to do: they were given the power to witness and preach boldly, they healed the sick, they casted out demons, they were given the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy!  As the seventy went out, guess how they returned?  WITH JOY!       

APPLICATION:  Reaching people with Christ's message of hope and redemption is a responsibility that is not restricted to the apostles. ALL FOLLOWERS of Christ are to be involved in carrying out the Great Commission.  (Matthew 28:19,20). 

PRAYER:  I pray the Lord of the Harvest will send out workers into His Harvest, including me!   I pray that I will rely on the Holy Spirit to work IN AND THROUGH ME as I carry out the Great Commission.  And I thank God for filling me with joy as I go, AND as I return!

- Robin Orefice