LUKE 8:38-39: The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”
Today’s scripture is a portion of the account of Jesus casting out demons from a possessed man. It begins in verse twenty-six of the chapter: Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs (Luke 8:26-27). Imagine for a moment the agony, misery, torment, and emotional upheaval this man endured. We cannot fully comprehend his suffering, but we may feel compassion for him. Now fast-forward our thinking to the man in today’s scripture. Jesus sent the demons away. He healed the man. Delivered from a long season of torment. Free in his heart, mind, and soul. And how did he respond to Jesus? He not only would have been over-the-top praising and thanking Jesus for his deliverance, but he begged that he might be with him. We can almost hear his words, “Oh, Jesus. Thank you so much. I cannot praise You enough for what You have done for me. Oh, please, I beg You, l owe You my life. Please, oh please, let me be by Your side now and forever.” Scripture does not record his words, but would they be fitting words from a grateful healed sinner?
Now, let’s look at us and do so through the lens of scripture. Go slowly through what I am about to type and ponder the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit in our lives, even count the spiritual blessings freely given to us from our Trinitarian God . . .
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:3-14).
Should not our response to all these rich spiritual blessings God has freely given move us to have the heart of the demon-possessed man set free–an intense desire to be with Jesus? If we have lost the wonder of our salvation leading to a less than intense desire to be with Jesus now in Word and prayer; let’s get alone with God and beg Him for a re-ignited heart of first love; first love which was so clearly present in the man set free by the Lord Jesus.
PRAYER: “Father, intensify my desire for You and may it move me to a fervent seeking of You in Word and prayer.”
QUOTE: “When a lessening of our hunger for God begins to happen, run and sit at the cross and look at Jesus.”