Imagine being sent out by Jesus Himself to ready the path He is about to take. Imagine being asked this before you know what He is about to do to give us our salvation.
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
—Luke 10:2 (NIV)
God sends us and never the other way around. Even when we think it’s our own idea. That truth has become clearer to me in recent days—not just in thought, but in experience. I sensed the Spirit nudging me to act, to speak, to write. Not for my name’s sake, but for His. Not to fulfill a task, but to respond in trust. But I hesitated. I waited. I overthought.
The absence of obedience always leaves something undone. The presence of obedience always fulfills because it is His will.
He initiates the mission.
He chooses the timing.
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.
Do not fear or be dismayed.”
—Deuteronomy 31:8 (NRSV)
And in that space between what He asked and what I did—between the asking and my eventual obedience—I felt something shift. The peace that had once been so present now felt distant. But as I drew near again, my peace returned.
Not because God had left and returned, but because I had delayed in following. And continuing in Luke 10, I was reminded what happens when we obey—when we follow Him without hesitancy.
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him…”
—Luke 10:1 (NIV)
The seventy-two didn’t ask to be sent. They were appointed and sent—to the very places Jesus Himself was about to go. They were ordinary people, without titles or platforms. But when He called, they moved.
Their obedience made space for divine encounters. They weren’t the main event. They were the preparation. What if they had delayed? What if they said, “It’s not a good time,” or “I’m not ready”?
The what-ifs are endless if these followers would not have forged onward. But Jesus knew. He knew who he chose, and He knew what would happen as He asked them. It was up to them to just say “yes”. Not because they knew what was ahead—but because He did.
Jesus didn’t just send them randomly. He sent them to specific towns, to specific people, ahead of Himself. He already saw what was coming—the rejection, the miracles, the hearts ready to receive, and those that wouldn’t. And still, He sent them.
That’s the heart of the call: to follow even when we don’t see the full picture, because He already does.
In the Bible, there are many examples of this exact obedience:
Moses was called—and Pharaoh resisted.
(Exod. 3–4; 5–14)
David was anointed—and spent years in hiding before he ever wore a crown.
(1 Sam. 16; 19–30; 2 Sam. 2, 5)
Jonah ran from the mission—because he didn’t want to face people who might reject it (or accept it).
(Jonah 1; 3–4)
Every one of the disciples was sent—and met both miracles and resistance along the way.
(Luke 9:1–6; 10:1–12; Acts 3–5; John 16:33)
In every case, the messenger was uncertain—but the message was unstoppable. What God sets in motion is not dependent on perfect circumstances or perfect people. It’s dependent on His purpose.Jesus calls us to follow Him, dependently.
“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects Him who sent me.”
—Luke 10:16 (NRSV)
And how do we hear Him? We read His word. We pray. We seek Him with every moment we get, or create reminders for ourselves until it is engrained in our actions daily. We feel the pull, and we let the Holy Spirit guide us.
The seventy two did this. They understood that what Jesus was asking mattered and went. And when the seventy-two returned, they returned amazed. In their journey, demons submitted and power flowed through them as vessels for what was to come. Jesus was grateful they came back. He listened. But then, He brought them back to the heart:
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”
-Luke 10:17-20 NRSV
It’s here that the bigger picture comes into view. Jesus isn’t just celebrating a victory—He’s revealing the scale of the story. In that moment, we begin to understand the spiritual landscape, the war that’s been waged, and the truth that in this moment, the battle is about to be won.
Even in their obedience and victory, Jesus lovingly redirects their joy. Not to what they could do, but to what God had already done. Not to their performance—but to their position. There is something freeing in this as we strive to exist in a world that requires performance and results. The seventy-two’s faith is what allowed the mission to move forward- because they believed in the power they witnessed.
He keeps reprioritizing the message. And yet, even in all His correcting, Jesus does something beautiful.
“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.’”
—Luke 10:21 (NIV)
He’s filled with joy—not because of the disciples’ strength, but because of their faith.
This is the heart of Jesus. Jesus did all of these things- showing gratitude, setting the stage and pointing it back to God- while knowing what was to come. While knowing it would be hard going forward.
Not just sending—but celebrating.
Not just correcting—but rejoicing that we follow—even imperfectly. Following God isn’t about what we can do for Him—it’s about being rooted in what He’s already done for us.
In whatever season you find yourself—whether standing at the peak of the hill or sitting in the shadow of the valley—read His Word and listen for what He is guiding you to do. And if you can’t hear Him, align yourself until you can.
Read Luke 10.
Check out The Gospel Coalition site, specifically an article by David Mathis called “How Your Habits Show and Shape Your Heart”. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-your-habits-show-and-shape-your-heart
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