Read Mark 5:1-6
Things Are Just Starting To Get Good.
Jesus and his disciples arrived to the other side of the Sea of Galilee into the country of the Gerasenes. This is a Non-Jewish country.
When Jesus got out of the boat, immediately he was met by a man with an unclean spirit. This man lived among the tombs. No one was able to bind him and subdue him, even with chains and shackles. Several times they attempted to, but every time he broke loose and even tore the shackles into pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day after day after day after day, and night after night after night after night, the man would be crying out among the tombs and in the mountains, plus gnashing himself with stones.
To me this is a picture of hopelessness and fear. What in the world, or who in the world would be able to set this demon possessed man free? No one has been able to get control over him.
Vs 6 says: “And seeing Jesus from the distance, the demoniac man ran up and bowed down before Jesus.” Wait a minute! What just happened here? People have tried everything to subdue this man and the demoniac destroyed every human attempt to get control over him. Nothing worked. But the mere presence of Jesus drove the man into submission!!! The mere presence of Jesus drove the man from a distance to run to Jesus and bow down before him!!! The man even ran in fear of this POWER. It drove him to fall and yield to the authority of Jesus.
I would have loved to have been an onlooker, watching everything unfold before me. This man was controlled by a power that no one could subdue. But on the day that I saw the mere presence of a man drive the demoniac to submission, I would have been eating my popcorn thinking, “Things are just starting to get good!”
What’s going on in your world today? What words could describe your seemingly hopeless situation? You’ve tried everything! But to whose authority are you yielding to? Whose authority are you bowing down to? You have two options: 1. The devil and his angels, or 2. To Jesus.
1. The devil and his demons just so happened to be our enemy. His authority is filled with fear, hate, destruction, and revenge. Is he powerful? Yes! Very powerful! He holds people down into addictions. He keeps people in bondage through deception and lies.
2. Jesus is our second option. The devil is powerful. More powerful than I am. But as I live in Christ and walk in the spirit of Christ, then the devil and all his demons must yield to the authority of Jesus.
Instead of walking day and night in fear, anguish, and deception, we can approach our situations with confidence because we know God is in control! We do not let our emotions control our future. We don’t let the lies that the devil hound us with, fill us with fear and doubt. Fear is no longer a factor. We’re driven now, not by hopelessness, but by confidence, faith, and the approaching victory in Jesus.
Who are you choosing to bow down to? Bow down before the authority of Jesus and when you do, take some popcorn with you because things are just starting to get good.
