Topic
Ordinary obedience to Jesus always produces extraordinary joy.
Key Scripture
“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.'” Luke 10:17 (NIV)
Reflection
When you decide to go where Jesus sends you, something remarkable happens — you return changed. The seventy in Luke 10 were not apostles hand-picked from an elite group. They were ordinary disciples, people much like you and me, sent out two by two into towns and villages with little more than a word from Jesus and a mission to carry. No formal credentials. No theological degree hanging on the wall. Just a command and the courage to obey it.
Notice the arc of their journey. They left in a posture of vulnerability — Jesus himself described them as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:3). That is not exactly a confidence-boosting send-off. And yet they went. They did not wait until they felt ready, until the timing seemed perfect, or until someone ordained them for the task. They simply trusted the one who sent them, and that trust became the bridge between their fear and their fruitfulness. When they returned, their mouths were full of joy, not exhaustion. The going had transformed them.
Here is a subtle idol that many sincere believers quietly worship: the idol of credentials. We tell ourselves we will serve when we know enough Scripture, when we complete the next course, when we are more spiritually mature, when life settles down. But the seventy were sent before they had seen all that Jesus would do. Their authority came not from their résumé but from his name. The same is gloriously true for you today. You do not need to be more qualified — you need to be more obedient. Jesus does not call the equipped; he equips the called.
The joy the seventy experienced was not incidental — it was the fruit of obedience. Jesus quickly redirected their excitement, reminding them that the greatest reason for joy is not spiritual power but a secured place in heaven (Luke 10:20). When we go where Jesus sends us, we discover that mission is not a burden we carry; it is a grace we live inside. The joy of the returned seventy is an open invitation to every believer. Go. Serve. Speak. And then come back and tell the story of what Jesus did.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you send ordinary people — people like me — to do your extraordinary work. Forgive me for the times I have hidden behind a lack of credentials or waited for a confidence that only comes through obedience. Give me the courage to go where you send me today, even when the path feels uncertain. I trust that your name is enough, your authority is sufficient, and your Spirit goes with me. Let me return with a story of your faithfulness on my lips and genuine joy in my heart. May my going bring glory to you, and may those I encounter encounter you. Amen.
Today’s Action Step
Identify one person God has been nudging you to reach out to — a neighbour, a colleague, a family member — and take one concrete step today: send a message, make a call, or simply show up. Do not wait for perfect words or perfect timing. Go where Jesus sends you, and trust him with the outcome.