Mark 1:23-26 While Jesus was in the synagogue, a man was there who had an evil spirit inside him. The man shouted, “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!” Jesus, his voice full of warning, said, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The evil spirit made the man shake. Then the spirit made a loud noise and came out of him.
Evil is something that we see all around us, if only we’ll look. Often though, we don’t look because it’s just all too much. So we just get on with life. But there’s one place where we don’t expect to find it, where we don’t even dare to look.
Evil is such a strong word that we rarely, if ever, apply it to ourselves. But how often are we the ones who cause conflict; whose prejudices block God’s love from flowing through us into the lives of others; whose selfishness gets in the road?
That blackness of the soul is a terrible thing. And it’s that very evil (let’s call it for what it is!) from which Jesus came to set you and me free. Free to do good. Free to love others, no matter the cost. Free to be who He created us to be, to have the impact that He always planned to make in this world through us. But how do you lay hold of that freedom?
Mark 1:23-26 While Jesus was in the synagogue, a man was there who had an evil spirit inside him. The man shouted, “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are—God’s Holy One!” Jesus, his voice full of warning, said, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The evil spirit made the man shake. Then the spirit made a loud noise and came out of him.
Whatever form that evil takes in your life, when Jesus speaks He sets you free. As He said, “When I set you free, you’ll be free indeed.” There’s such power in His Word. Power to set you free to be all He made you to be.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.