Devotion:
Read Luke 8:34-39.
This is the conclusion of the scene where Jesus cast demons out of a man and into a herd of pigs who then plunged down the hillside into the lake and drowned. It was a very dramatic scene and when the herdsmen saw it, they began spreading the news as they ran away. The man was immediately healed and begged to go with Jesus. We can certainly understand his desire to be with Jesus, the man who showed love and compassion for him as opposed to staying with those who had shunned him. Jesus listened to the man's repeated plea, and then he told the man something he didn’t want to hear. “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” The townspeople knew how powerfully demonized the man had been, and they were forced to contrast that with how free he had become. Wherever this man would go for the rest of his life, his story of deliverance would be repeated again and again.
Just as Jesus freed this man, he comes to free us from both our relatively minor issues and our most overwhelming circumstances that debilitate us. He tells us to “return,” go back, and tell others what God has done. He expects us to be engaged with others and point to Jesus as we show love, light, kindness, and peace to others, even those who have hurt us or shunned us. When God touches our lives, let’s not be afraid to share the good news with our family and friends. Let’s follow the example of this formerly demon possessed man who “went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.”
Personal Worship Option:
What is the good news about Jesus that you want to share with someone today? Pray for the opportunity and the words to proclaim the great things!
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