August 16: VALUE
See it:
So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water. Mark 5:13 (NLT)
Obey it:
We can learn three lessons from today’s text. This story always gets to me. Here is this guy who is terrorizing the community. He goes to Grandma’s grave, pulls her out and sleeps in her grave. Jesus comes in and takes not one or one hundred but 2,000 demons out of him. Think about that: 2,000 demons. How does it feel to be inhabited by 2,000 demons? Here are some lessons we can learn:
1. The people see the man healed but they care more for the pigs than the person. The same thing happens today. We use people and love things. Many just care about what people can do for us. Its pigs over people all over again.
2. Anyone can be restored. This man had issues with his family, finances, friends, relationships, health, and more important his spirituality. No one is out of God’s reach. In high school I had a friend who had one ear missing. People dismissed him or made fun of him. I invited him to spend the weekend with me. Made his year. With all the dumb stuff I did in high school, this was one good thing I remember. One act of love can make a person’s day.
3. Let’s love people, not pigs. We have it backwards sometimes. We use people and love things. Service helps us understand that when Jesus comes back, He won’t be coming for your church pews or the keys to the church kitchen. He won’t care what color the church walls are. People are a higher value. If we need to choose, let’s choose people.
Share it:
1. Write a handwritten note (not an email or text) for someone people ignore.
2. Knit a beanie or blanket or buy one for a homeless person.
3. Put change in the washer/dryer for the next person.
My prayer today:
Jesus, help me love people over possessions and help me demonstrate that I care about others through my acts of service today.
Season of Service