Everyone Marveled

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Matthew 22:37-39 New King James Version

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Memory verse: Romans 8:32 ►He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Today's reading: NUMBERS 9-11 MARK 5:1-20

Everyone Marveled

The gospel of Mark has an account of Jesus delivering a man from demon possession. The man had roamed the hills in that area screaming as he cut himself with stones for a long time. He had been chained and shackled but broke the chains and reduced the shackles to pieces. The locals kept their distance from this wild man.

Jesus delivered the man-no more demons-his mind was clear. Of course, he wanted to follow Jesus but Jesus told the man to stay home and tell the story. He stayed and obeyed and the scripture says that 'everyone marveled'.

I have never seen a demoniac delivered to tell of it. I have, by God's grace, seen marvel in someone's face.

It was 1993 in a small village in the Ukraine. We were going door to door handing out Bibles in the Russian language. A small, elderly woman came to the door and was given a Bible. My words cannot describe the look of 'marvel' on the woman's face but one part of it was gratitude. The story was that the revolution a hundred years ago brought a ban on their Bibles, so they were all destroyed. The women kept the word of God alive for the children coming up for the following generations. This little woman had never seen but had heard of the Bible all her life and she actually, now, held one in her hands.

The message here is that when we obey God and do His work in His love, lives are changed and blessed forever. Lives are changed forever by His love.

Jesus said,"19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”(Matthew 28:20)

All we can do is obey. People will marvel at the love of God.

...because He loves us...

Our Father in Heaven,

I confess I don't feel the urgency I should feel for You and Your work.

Give me great urgency for obedience-whatever You have for me to do-give me great urgency to see marvel at the mercy in Your gospel.

Great God of deliverance and power!

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen