I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way. (“I Will Sing the Wondrous Story” by Francis H. Rowley and Peter P. Bilhorn)
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. (Mark 5:18–20 NLT)
When Jesus came upon a demon-possessed man—a man who howled at night, cut himself with stones, lived among the tombs, and broke off the chains used to subdue him—He acted with compassion. He freed the man of the demons that infected his body and mind, and He talked to him like an old friend. Yet even though the man was willing to leave behind the life he knew before the demons so that he could join Jesus’s ministry, Jesus knew the man was not yet whole, so He sent him back to his family, telling him to share all that God had done for him.
Jesus saw this man was living a very visibly broken life and He brought him back into a place of wellness and wholeness. This formerly demon-possessed man then began to proclaim to everyone around him how great Jesus was, telling the wondrous story of Jesus, who threw His loving arms around him and drew him back into the fold of God. We, too, serve as signposts that direct everyone around us toward Christ because we know the kind of people we would be without Him. In order to be ready to share with others, set aside time today to reflect on what Jesus has done for you, ending your reflection time by expressing gratitude to your savior.