The Study
Bible Teachings .......by Paul .......(used with permission)
Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
Mark 5:1-6
I love this story from the Gospel of Mark because it relates so much to my life. It makes clear that nobody is beyond God's reach. Here is a man who has been tormented by the devil, so he withdraws himself from everyone. He's a beggar, an outcast, homeless, and mentally unstable. He wants to end his life because he realizes that it has no meaning. He is so far away from God. He had such enormous physical strength, yet was spiritually so weak.
There are times, I'm sure, when you feel that you're just not worth anything. You may feel so far away from God, like this man here, and you withdraw from other Christians--you start going back to your former, destructive lifestyle. Yet God won't give up on you; He is still so madly in love with you!
God is trying to reach you. Maybe you feel so far gone that you think, "Why would God want to reach me?" But He will battle the forces of hell to get to you. And that is so amazing when you stop and think of it. He will fight for you and He does fight for you. He defends you and He is there to bless you.
You may have friends who don't know God and you're really concerned about them. Or maybe you're reading this and you feel like this man who was being tormented by the devil, and you don't know where to turn. Realize that there's nothing you can do but to ask the Lord to help you. Simply ask.
God can use this story to encourage you. Trust Him. He will spiritually take care of your soul. He will start mending your relationships if you'll just allow Him to come into your life. He's promised to supply all of your needs based on His riches, so you can count on Him to take care of you. Be encouraged: you are not--ever--out of God's reach.
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
copyright: 1987-2009
Blueletter Bible
_________________________________
When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me."
Mark 5:6-7
Here is a man that recognizes he was in the presence of God in the flesh--the Son of the Most High God. It is interesting that this man, after running to Jesus and worshiping Him, said, "I beg you that you do not torment me." It is almost like he was saying, "You're my last chance. Everyone else has tormented me. Everything that has been in my life has brought pain and suffering. Please don't let me down."
But here's the great thing. Jesus is the One who will never let you down! Maybe you've been where this man has been, and your life has been one emotional and physical roller-coaster ride after another. Maybe your parents have let you down. Or maybe it was your kids or your spouse. Or people you once trusted, but who cut you down. For many, all we've wanted is for someone to love us in the good times and accept us in our bad times--someone who would bring stability in a relationship. So can you understand a little bit where this outcast man is coming from? All he's experienced is torment, and all he wants is the tender touch of Jesus on his life.
I can guarantee you that God will never let you down if you surrender your life and your heart to Him. This man is such a great example of that. And remember that when this guy saw Jesus, he ran and worshiped Him. Isn't that amazing? Here is an outcast from society who was a raving lunatic, yet he knew enough to worship Jesus. Imagine if the attitude of all Christians was, "Let's run to worship Jesus." There would be a revival in our nation that nobody could believe. That is the fire that has to be in your heart. So wherever you are in life, surrender everything to the Lord Jesus. He won't let you down. He doesn't desire that you live in torment. Run to Him and worship Him today.
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you"
(Deuteronomy 31:6).
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"
Mark 4:39-40
Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe, was with the disciples and calmed the storms with just three words; yet we see that the disciples were still afraid. And how often is this the case in our lives. We trust in the Lord to help us, yet we remain panicked, afraid, and uncertain that He will pull us through our pains. This is such an important lesson for us to learn: faith is destroyed when we let fear inside. Fear handicaps our mind and it cripples our actions. Fear robs our faith. But time and time again, God shows us through His Word that He desires for us not to live in fear.but faith.
As children of, and joint-heirs with, Jesus, we can have the same peace that He brought to the wind and the sea. He came to give us peace with Him (Romans 5:1). No fiery dart from the enemy can keep that peace out of your life. So don't let fear inside your heart. When you start feeling the pressures of life, ask the Lord for His strength and the Holy Spirit's enabling to cast that fear aside.
Take some time to read through these verses below, and pray each of them as your personal prayer to Him. Keep these verses close to your heart throughout the day, and even through the rest of the week. Let them sink deeply into your soul and speak truth to you -- that you are special to the Lord and that He wants you to live a life full of joy and peace, not fear."Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15).
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love" (1 John 4:8).
So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:39
Jesus shows us time and time again that He cares so much for us. He wants to calm the storms in our lives. We see here that, as the waves pounded the boat that carried Him and the disciples, and as the winds threatened to send them all swimming for the lives, Jesus said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" Those words, in the original language, literally read, "Be muzzled." This is the same command used to quiet barking dogs, so it is very emphatic. You see, these words were directed at somebody, not some thing.
Jesus' words weren't directed to the wind and the waves; He was commanding the devil to stop! When Jesus spoke those words, the winds and sea immediately obeyed. (The devil may be the prince, but Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!)
On the other side of that sea were people who needed the tender touch of Jesus. They needed healing. They needed salvation. And the devil wanted to do everything in his power to halt the Lord's work on the other side, so he tried to thwart any kind of ministry with a storm. And the devil wants to do the same in your life. He wants to cause havoc, pain, agony, and defeat in your life so that you'll blame God for the problems. But how will you respond in the sudden storms? Will you panic like the disciples did, or will you fully trust in Jesus Christ to work His miracles in your life?
Let Jesus Christ fight the battles in your life. Jesus not only shows us here that He has the power over the wind and the sea, but that He has power and authority over the devil! Put your complete trust in His awesome power. And when you do, you will see a calmness come over you and over all of the circumstances in your life.
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
Mark 4:37-38
Last week, we saw how important it is to let Jesus be your Master in all things. Today I want you to notice the second part of the disciples' words, "Do You not care that we are perishing?" These men--who'd spent their lives on this sea--were worried for their lives, so they lashed out at Jesus with the unkind words, "Don't you care?" These are words that are full of self-centeredness and selfishness, and I'm afraid that this is how we often pray when things happen to us: "Lord, don't you care about me? Why is this happening to me?" Instead, when things start going crazy in your life, the best question to ask is,
"Lord, what are you showing about Yourself here? Please teach me and show me."
If we are walking in the flesh and trials come upon us, they are going to cripple us. But if we are trusting in the Lord and walking closely with Him, even in the pain, there is a peace that passes all understanding that comes with the knowledge of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. And when you are in the midst of an ugly, horrendous situation, you will be able to say, "We know that God is doing a work here. We are not going to drown." God loves you so very much. He cares about every need that you have. So when bad things come your way, go to Him and rely on His strength to get you through.
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you"
(1 Peter 5:6-7).
