When God Is On The Move
God is able to do radical things in our lives when we have Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Sometimes we can’t understand why things happen the way that they do. But God’s methods are often different from the way that we might go about doing things. But His ways are far better and far greater than what we can even comprehend. And if God is at the center of it, we can be assured that everything is happening for the better, and we can move forward in confidence knowing that God is in complete control.
Scripture:
“When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.” – Luke 8:33-37
Observation/Application:
In this scripture, there is a man possessed by demons. Many times the people in town tried to handle the situation. But “although he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places”. – (Luke 8:29). So the people in town did the best that they could by locking him up and keeping him under guard, but it was not working, They were not able to solve the problem. And they were not able to help this guy out, and he lived in seclusion among the tombs.
Then comes Jesus who is able to solve the problem. He is able to solve every problem, every need, any concern, any situation that we might have. No problem is too big for our God. One of the great lessons of this scripture is that instead of telling God how big our problems are, we should tell our problems how big our God is. He is the creator of the heaven and the earth. Do we really think that our problem is too big for God? While it might be huge for us, to God it is just a little thing.
When God moves in our lives, it may not always look like what we think it is going to look like. Things may not go the way we imagine they might go. When Jesus casts the demons out, the they leave the man and enter in a large herd of pigs who then rush down the hill and all drowned in the lake. This is hardly what anyone expected would happen. And the people of the town become scared and ask Jesus to leave.
We cannot allow fear to rule our lives. These people had the Son of God in their midst. But because they didn’t understand, they allowed fear to take control. And instead of reaping the reward of having the Son of God in their presence who could heal the sick, bring sight to the blind, raise the dead, etc., they asked Jesus to leave. The very thing that was going to bring them blessing they shut out because they didn’t understand and became scared.
“Do not fear” appears well over 300 times in the Bible. Considering the many variations of the phrase, many consider the exact number to be 365 times. If there is one thing that God wants us to learn, it is that we are not to fear! “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” – (2 Timothy 1:7). Some other translations include the words “power, love, and sound judgment – (CSB), and one version adds the word “self-discipline”. – (CJB). Another version says that, “God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.” – (CEB). God does not want us to live timid. He wants us to live boldly, in confidence, power, love, sound mind, self-controlled, self-disciplined.
So when God is moving in our lives, and we see things happening not exactly as we might have imagined, let us be encouraged that God is not only on the move, but in control. For His ways are not our Ways. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – (Isaiah 55:8-9). And God can do anything and everything far beyond what we can imagine. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” – (Ephesians 3:20)
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing Word today. Help us to see when you are on the move God. Help us to know that you are in control, so that we can move forward in confidence and boldness, peace and understanding. Fill us with the joy of your salvation, and the Spirit of victory and purpose. Guide our every step, our every Word, our every thought. Help us to walk in your ways. We seek you first Lord. Bring us closer to you each day. We are so thankful for all that you have done for us, and all that you continue to do. We trust in you, and fully surrender to you, and give you all the honor and glory, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
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