A New path
There has been, or there is bound to be a time where you have faced some sort of demon in your life. Demons come after us in many, many ways, from something like disliking what you see in the mirror, or something more intense as self-harm. The evil one’s main goal is to destroy anything made in Gods image, and demons will keep compiling until it destroys us. There is a story I really like in the book of Mark, it’s Mark 5: 1-20 Jesus heals a man with a demon. (Get your bibles out to read the full scripture)
So, Jesus had reached the other side of the sea in Gerasenes and as soon as he got off the boat, he was immediately met by a man with an unclean spirit who lived in the tombs and would cry out and cut himself with stones night and day. But when he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran to meet him at the shore! When the man reached Jesus, he fell at his feet seeming desperate to be free of the demons, but they took over the man’s voice. Jesus asked him, “what is your name?” and he replied with “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (Now a legion was the largest group of the roman army and when they had all their men it was 6,000 soldiers, so I think that the name has meaning to there being many demons in the man)Then there was a large herd of pigs on a hillside and the demons begged to Jesus to send them into the pigs, and when Jesus did the herd of about two thousand pigs rushed into the sea and drowned. After that all the people who had witnessed this ran back to the city and country to tell about it, and when they returned they saw the man who had been possessed at Jesus’ feet, not crying out, not causing self harm, not bound in chains, not among the tombs anymore. The man was in his right mind again, meaning being an image bearer of God again. The man was so thankful he wanted to go with Jesus but Jesus did not allow the man to join him because he wanted the man to be a witness to Gods power in Decapolis. Jesus wanted him to share what had happened to him despite his prior calling of solitude and secrecy.
So when we are facing our own demons we need to put ourselves at Jesus’ feet and expose those demons to him, and take on that New Path because those pigs from the hillside that the demons destroyed will be us if we allow them. There will be many demons we have to face in our earthly journey, so let Jesus in to help cast those demons out and share Jesus and what he has done for you with others just like the man from the tombs was sent to do. And if you think that you are not fit to be the one sharing Jesus with anyone because you may not know scripture very well, or haven’t been a believer for very long, or don’t want to deal with the conflict of the conversation, trust me you are just as fit to share the good news the same as a well seasoned preacher is! We all are called to do so and WE are the church, not just a building you go to on Sunday morning. You WILL reach someone that a thousand others may have not had such luck, or someone who has never had the opportunity to hear it in the first place, we all reach people in our own way and HE designed it that way. Share the good news, start a conversation, write about it, talk about it, or just show someone some kindness.
Going to end this with a verse from Psalm-
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.-Psalm 5:11