You Have the Strength

I hear it all the time. I experienced it often throughout my life. We all have moments of doubt. Do we have enough strength to do what we have to do to be healed by God? I’m here to tell you, YES, you have the strength. You will always have the strength to reach God.

At that time, Jesus came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gergesenes. And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out, and bruising himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him, “Send us to the swine, let us enter them.” So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea. The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus, and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their neighborhood. And as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. But he refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Dekapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and all men marveled.

Mark 5.1-20

In the healing of man with legion demons, we often hear about God’s protection against evil. We often hear about how the demons are required to obey God. What I rarely hear about is how the man ‘had enough strength’ to approach Christ in the first place.

The demons were so strong that his man lived among the tombs and wilderness. The demons were so strong they often caused him to beat himself and even break the chains that held him down. BUT the demons were not strong enough to stop him from reaching Christ.

It may hurt but we will always have enough strength to get to Christ when we need Him. The demons will never be able to keep us from Him. If you learn any lesson from today’s miracle, learn this. NOTHING is strong enough to keep you from God.

Nothing but your own free will that is. You are the only created being that is strong enough to keep you from God. No temptation, no demon, no sin will ever be stronger than your free will. So, stop complaining about how ‘hard’ it is to find God. Yes, it is hard. Yes, you can reach Him.

This is a great lesson to learn in the first week of the New Year, now that we are planning our improvement in Christ. Have faith and have strength to reach God. Both are under your control. Both are required to find Christ. Keep reminding yourself every day, you have the strength.