Mark 5:1-20

Be Still: Lord, still my heart so that I can better hear your voice. Amen

Read: Mark 5:1-20 

'This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.’ (v 3-4) 

Encounter: How often do we try to find temporary fixes for situations that need a permanent solution? 

Sometimes it’s things around the house (I know I’ve been propping up a broken lamp for months instead of replacing it). Other times it’s to do with what’s going on inside us. Sometimes it’s keeping relationships shallow to avoid having difficult conversations, chasing external successes to soothe internal disappointments, or keeping busy so we don’t have to sit with ourselves.  It can be tempting to take shortcuts instead of submitting to the deep work that the Lord wants to lead us through. We can get used to suppressing things that the Holy Spirit keeps prompting us to surrender. 

In today’s passage, we read that many people tried their methods of overpowering the man which didn’t work 'anymore'. Maybe for brief moments their attempts brought relief; however, only Jesus was able to completely restore the possessed man to his right mind for good.

Jesus wants to bring permanent healing to whatever internal pain you've tried to ‘tape over’, When Jesus said, ‘It is finished’, it was a declaration of a permanent solution to every sin, pain, and more. This means we can let go of anything we are using to subdue internal pressures and pains, and live in the freedom Christ has for us. 

This freedom might look different from what we expect - walking difficult areas in community, accepting therapy, or being vulnerable with others. Whatever it looks like, it’s with Jesus, and not in our strength alone, that we experience the deep and complete work of the Cross. 

Apply: Is there an area in your life where you have become familiar with a short-term fix rather than long-term healing? 

Devote: Lord, thank you for your finished work on the Cross. Help me to live a life that reflects that truth throughout this week.