Aug. 3

Faith Crushes Fear

Mark 4:35-41 (Jesus calms the storm)
Mark 5:1-20   (Healing of a demon possessed man)
Please read the entire story for yourself today so that your faith can grow to crush the fear in your life.

This story it is not about a man who came running and bowed his knee before Jesus Christ. It's the story of a man possessed and held prisoner by many demons and could only do what the evil spirits allowed him to do. This is the story of evil bowing to the truth. It was the demons inside the man who had no choice but to come and bow. But before we talk about that, we need to back up a minute and read about what happened just before this.

Earlier in chapter 4 verse 35-41 as the disciples were in a boat with Jesus and crossing deep waters, a huge storm had frightened the disciples and they thought they were going to drown, but Jesus calmed the storm in their life. And he did it just before they were about to experience a different type of storm, the storm of a demon who must bow its knee before the Lordship of the Son of God.

When your going through a storm in your life that is not the time to panic or give up hope or lose faith, it is the time to call upon the master of all life.
Fear clouds your vision and impairs your judgment.
Only after your fear is gone will you be able to see that evil has no power when faced with the light of truth and every force of darkness has to bow to that truth.

THE STORM BROUGHT FEAR BUT THE CALM BROUGHT FAITH.
I can probably imagine that just after experiencing the fear of such a huge storm and then having their fears relieved,  that the sight of a demonic possessed man didn't scare them as much as it might have if they had not just had their faith inflated. But because they were living large in their faith and had already experienced that there was nothing to fear when Jesus was with them, they were walking in full blown faith. A faith that was alive and active. And because they were already walking in faith, they were prepared for the next storm and didn't even know it.

Is it possible that Jesus decided to give them a lesson in fear to faith ahead of time? Was he trying to prepare them for the storms of life that were headed their way?  Maybe he just wanted them to know that many storms will come and they need to know that he is with them through it all and that they will be able to face all fear with the expectation that FAITH IN HIM CRUSHES ALL FEAR.

Immediately after the end of chapter 4, chapter 5 brings another storm. One of a demonic kind.
The bible says in chapter 5 verse 1 that when Jesus got out of the boat a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him and that the demon inside the man had ran and fell to his knees at the feet of Jesus and shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you wont torture me!" If you go and read the story you will notice that in verse 8 (after verse 5 when the man came running) that Jesus HAD (meaning he spoke to the demon before the demon spoke to him) he had said "come out of this man, you evil spirit!" The evil spirit did not come running to Jesus because he wanted to, evil hates light and truth and runs from it. He came because Jesus told him to come out of the man and at that command by Jesus the evil spirit had no choice but to bow at the feet of Jesus who carries all truth within him. We know that it was not the man himself talking when he called Jesus "Son of the Most High God" because in verse 11 of chapter 5 it states that the demons begged Jesus to send them into a heard of pigs.

At the end of this story Jesus told the man to go home to his family and tell them how much the Lord had done for him, and how he had mercy on him.

This is the point Im trying to convey to you today. That as you go through life and its many storms you need not fear the storm that you are presently in or fear any storm that is yet to come. When you have Jesus with you everything in heaven, on earth and under the earth is subject to his command and power. He loves you and will never let you drown in your fear, your panic or your sorrow.
Remember, that the storms in your life are meant to build your faith and as you continue to walk in faith the storms that are ahead of you will not consume you with fear. And when your fears are relieved don't forget to go to your family and tell everyone you know about the mercy of Jesus and what he has done for you.

Eventually your faith will lead you to get out of the boat of fear and walk on the waters of faith with Jesus your Savior.

If your heart has been touched, please feel free to email me at:  Jina@preparingyourheart.com

Thank you