“Healing Emanates As Lord Is Nurturing Giver! (H.E.A.L.I.N.G)”

By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

April 11, 2008

Editors Note: The devotional has a background song  called 'Never Out of His Love' by Al Denson which can be heard if you use Internet Explorer.

^"Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region." (Mark 5:14-17, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself what happened after the demons went into the pigs and the pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned?

1. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town.

2. Those tending the pigs later reported this in the countryside.

3. The people of the town and countryside went out to see what happened.

4. The people of the town came to Jesus.

5. The people of the town saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, dressed and in his right mind.

6. The people of the region were afraid.

7. The people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

Day before yesterday, I had looked at the first four events in the lives of the people of the town. Today, I decided to focus on the fifth event.

Observation:
I asked myself what the people discovered about the demon-possessed man?

1. The people of the town saw the demon-possessed man sitting there in the presence of Jesus.

2. The people of the town saw the demon-possessed man dressed in the presence of Jesus.

3. The people of the town saw the demon-possessed man in his right mind in the presence of Jesus.

Interpretation:
I asked myself why it is significant the condition of the man is mentioned after his encounter with Jesus?

Three things happened in the man’s life:

1. I found it very significant because when Jesus healed him he was finally able to sit there in the presence of Jesus. Before, the only thing he could do was fall in front of Jesus or be a wanderer near the tombs crying and cutting self but never could be in one place at peace. Now Jesus’ healing brings him that peace. Jesus addressed the man’s physical condition and met him where he was.

2. When Jesus healed him he was finally dressed in the presence of Jesus. This tells me that before the healing he was not dressed. His condition could have made him tear at his clothes and so on or he could have been naked. Now Jesus comes and clothes him in his nakedness by healing him. Jesus addressed the man’s spiritual condition here. The man was naked and trapped in the enemy’s territory being possessed by demons. Now, Jesus comes and heals him of his spiritual condition clothing him not only physically but spiritually.

3. When Jesus healed him he was finally in his right mind in the presence of Jesus. This tells me that the demons caused a mental illness in him. Mentally, he was not functioning well. Jesus addressed the man’s mental condition by healing him. Now, because of Jesus’ healing the man was in his right mind.

This is so awesome that Jesus addressed the man’s physical, spiritual, and mental condition when Jesus healed him.

 Implications:
I saw important implications in my own life. I saw the power of Jesus’ healing and that He can heal people where they are at. I know Jesus healed me when I had severe asthma and also when I had fallen couple of times.

I put my hand on my leg that seemed to be badly sprained and asked Jesus to touch it supernaturally and He did. Of course, I cannot explain it. Even the school nurse was shocked and baffled. Jesus’ healing can put people in awe!

In college, I had a serious case of mono (no I did not kiss anyone) so I do not know how I contracted it. I prayed about it and so many were praying for me. When the nurse came back with the original results she was amazed.

My eyes become watery when I think about Jesus healing me in different areas of my life knowing He has not changed and can change me. He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever more. I also know that His timing is not our timing but in His perfect timing we can feel the healing for we are never out of His love and never out of His reach!

I ask you now dear friend, where do you need healing?
Dear friend, whatever you are going through, Jesus wants to be there for you. I know He does! No matter what your condition is take it to the Lord in prayer. Do not give up! Jesus has the power to heal and when He heals He heals the person as a whole. Jesus addressed the man’s physical, spiritual, and mental condition. I have read so many testimonies and seen so many testimonies of Jesus’ healing.

Friend, I do not have an answer for those that feel they have not be healed yet except to say Jesus knows your pain and has not forgotten about you.  His healing occurs in His timing and we do not understand. Jesus deliberately decided to come to Gerasenes after He got in the boat with his disciples. He had His timing. He could have come sooner if He chose but He has a reason for everything. God creates no accidents and sometimes miracles hide and God wraps blessings in disguise. You may have to wait sometime to see the reasons why!

We know our Lord Jesus healed my daddy multiple times after his cardiac arrest and we believed our Lord could heal him of all the ailments. My dad was in a very bad shape and could have died sooner but the Lord Jesus kept healing him. One day the Lord decided to take him so my dad could be with the Lord.

This does not anyway take away from the healing power of Jesus Christ. Jesus could have healed my daddy completely and my dad still could be living but the Lord's ways or not our ways and we need to bless the Lord always and choose to say, 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the Name of the Lord'

We have seen the Lord's presence in our lives so much during the turbulent time after my dad's cardiac arrest, during the time he was in ICU, the time he was in a nursing home, and even on the day my dad went to be with the Lord. Even to this day, we see the Lord's work in our lives.

Never give up on the Lord's healing even when we don't understand why sometimes His healing does not come when we want it. The main miracle and best miracle of all even in my dad's condition was that we believe the night my dad gave his life to the Lord Jesus is the night he could finally rest for eternity with Jesus. I still believe in the Lord's healing!

Recently, my mom had a terrible neck pain and a sore in the eye for which we prayed, and the Lord Jesus healed. Praise be to the Lord!

May you not give up but come to feel the healing of the Lord always knowing healing emanates as Lord is nurturing Giver!

More than anything I believe the Lord Jesus cares for the healing of your spiritual condition. No matter how healthy you are on the outside physically, on the inside mentally and psychologically, you are not healthy at all but rotting away if you are sick spiritually.

You see friend, our sin has separated us from the Lord. Because of that sin, it will eventually affect us physically and mentally. We need a doctor to heal us of our sin and restore us. Jesus is that Great Physician. For healing to occur first the symptoms have to be diagnosed. You need to come to the point to acknowledge your sinfulness in this world and that only Christ Jesus has the cure. Yes, friend He alone has the cure. Jesus went to the cross to produce it with His precious cleansing blood. For His blood alone can wipe the virus of sin completely from your body and set you free. So come as you are and ask Jesus Christ to intervene in your life and take over. Jesus died and came back on the 3rd day to save so you and I can be saved when we accept His free gift of grace. We don't even have to pay anything. Everything we think we have to give up is not really giving up because what we receive is better than what we think we are giving up.

I don't want you to leave reading this devotional and not knowing Jesus as your Lord and Personal Savior who heals us where we are. Without Jesus, we cannot come into the presence of God. When the demon-possessed man was healed, then He was able to sit at the presence of Jesus. We too need our sins washed to sit in the presence of God. We can and we will because of what Jesus will be in our life. That is exciting to know!

“Healing Emanates As Lord Is Nurturing Giver!” (H.E.A.L.I.N.G)/”Where do you need healing?”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you know the healing we need in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. Thank you for healing the demon-possessed man spiritually, physically, and mentally. Thank you so much for caring for him and how much you care for us too. We are so sorry for our sin. Thank you for dying on the cross to take our sin and coming back to life to save us. Thank you Lord at the cross the broken can come to you, the sick can come to you, the infected can come to you, and all those who need your healing can come to you. So, we come now with whatever condition we face especially the condition of sin and ask you to cleanse us with your cleansing blood. Wash us and we will be whiter than snow. Please come into our heart and make our heart your home. Live in us Jesus and help us to live for you and serve you the rest of the days of our lives. Thank you so much Jesus. We acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus for being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard us and answered us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!