Month: April 2020

Luke 8:33 “Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.”

   The demons hoped to bring fear to the hearts of those who lived in that area. That is all they would ever do, deal in fear. That is the currency of the evil one, fear. And Jesus knew what they were going to do. He knew they would destroy those pigs. And He knew it would cause the people living in that area to ask Him to leave. But, He already had a plan. The demonic forces had already forgotten the man they had been forced out of. The devil’s crowd will always underestimate what God can do with a man transformed by Christ.

   Heavenly Father, I love You! You are never worried. You always have everything under control. I will say with all of my heart, You are my God! You alone may decide the fate of Your world. You alone hold the tomorrows in Your hands. Give me Christ and I have all, for You have made Yourself available to me. I can know You, and that is enough for me. You alone have the right to stop my life, and You alone have the power to keep it going. I will live to love You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 8:32 “A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.”

   This is really a great picture for us of the way God and the devil interact all of the time. First, demonic forces have no choice but to obey anything and everything that Jesus says. The demons we see here were very much begging, knowing that was their only recourse. Secondly, the devil and his minions, no matter how hopeless may be their situation, will always seek to work evil. And why? This is their nature. They automatically do whatever they think will be the most dishonoring to Almighty God, even if what they attempt fails dismally.
   Third, and finally, keep in mind that God works everything out for His glory. He is not a weak, anemic old man crouched in a throne somewhere trying to keep it all together. He is an ever consuming fire of bright and irresistible power. He is the one who lit stars hundreds of times the size of our sun. He is the one who has made whole galaxies that we have yet to see. He is not worried, scared, nervous, or anything of the kind.

   Heavenly Father, as we celebrate Easter we are reminded today more than any other of Your POWER. All that anyone might ever attempt to do against You all told would amount to little more than a single drop of water attempting to extinguish thousands of acres of blazing forest fires. And even that is inaccurate, for there is no possibility to express any exact comparison. It is pointless to try. We can rest this morning in Christ because Your Son has Triumphed Gloriously making a mockery of the evil one and all of his tricks. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 8:31 “And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss.”

   This is where we see the true position of the forces of evil in relation to Christ. They grovel and beg upon Him to not do what He could and banish them. But, ultimately this is to be the destiny of these and all other minions of the devil. Theirs is an existence without hope, and their doom is completely certain. They were begging only for a reprieve, though they would have been reluctant to admit that.

   Heavenly Father, thank You for our great Champion. The Lord Jesus has made a mockery of the devil and all his followers. Only Christ may decide the fate of this world. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 8:30 “What is your name?” Jesus asked him. “Legion,” he said– because many demons had entered him.

   Why would Jesus ask this? Why give the demonic world an inch? What was the purpose here? Well, for one thing, the devil and his forces like to be shrouded in darkness. They don’t want to be brought to light. They need to be scary, not factually understood. But, also, Jesus reveals here what He was doing. He wasn’t just casting out a demon. No, He was ordering a hoard of demonic forces to leave this region. And the ‘Legion’ had no choice.

   Heavenly Father, help us always to understand that the problems we have with the powers of darkness are largely due to deception and trickery rather than power and influence. You are truly powerful, the devil is just a snake in the grass as he has always been. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.