License to Trample

Luke 10:18-19 He (Jesus) replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."

These 2 verses tell me:

1. Satan fell like lightning. Lightning travels at 93,000 miles per second (according to the US Dept. of Energy) which is roughly equivalent to travelling around the earth's equator 4 times in one second. That's PDQ. Satan fell. (Thanks to all grammar classes, I recognize this as the past tense of "see".) Jesus saw him and that was at least a couple of millenia back.

2. A few milligrams of the venom from the Belcher's sea snake can kill 1000 men. The Death Stalker scorpion (let's not pussy foot around this) may not cause instant death but excruciating pain. O joy. But note...Jesus said "I have given you authority..." Past perfect tense. Given out and not retracted.

Today I pit my very worst current battle against the very cornerstone of my belief centred upon these verses. I am not the type that goes out looking for trouble, (so I won't be packing to Australia or Africa to look for snakes and scorpions to stamp on any time soon) but today, this passage struck me in a different way. Jesus had sent his 72 disciples out two-by-two to preach the Good News. And when you go out on the mission that He sends you out on, you are going to meet with snakes and scorpions and other creepy crawlies. Sure, you weren't going out to look for them, but they will be found along the way. Hang on a second...here's the juggernaut...depend on the certainty that God gave you the authority to overcome the enemy (creepy crawlies, poisonous crunchy beetles and slithery belly-dancing vipers, satan's minions) who likes nothing better than for you not to deliver the Good News.

I know some of us are going through whatever is equivalent to a scorpion's spiritual bite, so I'm praying for you based on the realization that God has given you to me and I'm trusting God to see that His Authority working not just on Top Secret level three FBI security clearance but Willy-Wonka Golden Ticket kinda clearance! I am writing specifically to each one of you to tell you that God has you on His mind and I'm praying alongside you.

We are so incredibly well-made to trample on dubious poisonous creatures that try to beset us, but let's not fall prey to that. We have been given the license to trample. Let that soak in for a bit. I don't know about you, but while I am trampling, I'm going to add a bit of a shake, twist and swivel just to get that sucker good.