Mark 5

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is doing well. I know that we have been off to a somewhat rocky start with this. I pray that everyone is renewed and is seeking God in this time. I know those distractions are coming...school's boutta be out, the weather is breaking, vacation season is fast approaching! I know that we are going to get busy having fun and relaxing, but lets be intentional about spending time with God. He made all of those things for us to enjoy. With that said, I want you guys to hold me accountable. If you see that I haven't posted on the forum CALL ME/TEXT ME and remind me to do it. It is so easy to let other things get in the way and I am very guilty of it, so I need yall's help!!! Annnnnyyyywho, onto Mark 5.

11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And at once Jesus[c] gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

This makes me think about the first time that I actually saw something like this. I remember thinking WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON???!!! I was younger and I just remember the woman was shaking violently, throwing up and screaming, but it was like a growl, low and deep. I immediately remember thinking, nah this church stuff ain't whats up. I became very skeptical. And of course, scared. I mean let's face it, from the outside looking in, church people (especially those at them good ol' down home southern shoutin churches) look crazy in church! While I was reading this, I thought about how it feels to have your first and true encounter with God. I know that it can be quite scary to actually be able to feel/see the manifestation of God's power. In v. 16-17, it says that the people wanted Jesus to leave. The stuff that he was doing was unlike anything that they had seen before and they were afraid. I can totally relate to this. I know many of us are like yes, God is amazing and I know he's gonna show up and show out etc, but sometimes (at least for me), when it actually happens it is unnerving because it exceeds our expectations. It doesn't make sense. I say all this to say that it is important to really have RELATIONSHIP.

For example, I know that if Rickey or Ron do something for me, I won't necessarily be that surprised. I know them, I know me and I know that they will do things that are generally expected. They are not trying to PROVE anything to me by doing things for me per se. Our relationship predicates how they treat me. Now, if someone else did something for me that I didn't know that well, I may become preoccupied with why? What are their motivations? What do they want? In the same way, I used to think about the things that God did for me and wonder why? Is it a joke? Is something bad going to happen right after so that I can prove my faith to him? Do I deserve this? What is the lesson? I realize (and am still understanding) that those questions came from a place of doubt and a lack of relationship. God wants to prosper us, to grow us, to give us the desires of our heart and all he requires is that we enter into relationship with him and are obedient and willing to serve. This gives me a different perspective. See, if the people in v.16-17 knew all that Jesus had to offer, they wouldn't have pushed him away. I am sometimes like those people, doubting God, not being comfortable with what is going on because it doesn't make sense. BUT if I am willing to enter into relationship with Him, then I would know that he does the things that He does because those are his CHARACTERISTICS. That is the type of friend, companion and father that He is. Therefore, there is no reason to doubt what He is doing or His strategy. He only wants the best. It is also about expectations. Sometimes, we are so tied to our expectations that we don't realize our blessing. We need them prepackaged exactly how we want them and we end up missing out on the opportunity.