The Best of ALC Devotions: Day 2
The Gift of Freedom || Day 2
Luke 8:22-39
"Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 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. When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him."
The account of Jesus’ deliverance of the demon-possessed man from the Gadarenes provides specific revelation on walking in the gift of freedom.
First, we must take authority over satanic storms that come against us.
These storms have been sent to stop us, distract us, discourage us, or even prematurely take us out. We know this storm was not sent by God because God the Son would never rebuke something sent by God the Father. This was a storm to try and derail the purpose of the Father manifesting in the earth.
This was an attempt to try and intercept the plan of God for that man and ultimately for that region. What we must understand is that when we have set our hearts to fulfill the will of God on the earth, the devil will always try and sabotage that plan. He doesn’t want us to succeed, because success here in this place gives us faith to take us to the next place.
Therefore, the goal of the devil is to make it unsuccessful from the beginning. But the good news is this: if the devil opposes it, then God is for it. And if God is for it, then He’s already planned a path of victory for us. If God is for it, then when we speak to a satanic storm it will cause it to go quiet. If we are walking in the purpose and plan of God, then He will not allow us to be defeated. The only way we can lose is by giving up!
Further reading: Matthew 8:23-34, Luke 8:22-39, Romans 8:31