The Safe Choice

What is our reaction to the power of God? How do we react when we see the result of God's hand in someone's life? Does the miracle of a changed personality, a healing and restoring of a broken person attract us irresistibly to learn what the Father has done for them and share what He has done for us? 

Or does the renewing and making of a whole person where once society counted them a loss and placed them in prison or a psychiatric ward or isolated and alone on the street cause us to feel suspicious and wary of how anything good could come from a background like that?

Mark 5
v.14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
v.15 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.
v.16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man -- and told about the pigs as well.
V.17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

Is our focus on the style or the manner or the time when God moves? Do we have a prescribed formula or pattern in which God must move and anything outside the boundaries we have authorized cannot be of God, regardless of the results?

Luke 13:14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, "There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day." 

Do we feel empathy for people who are bound, crippled emotionally, unable to get free to give praise to their Creator, suffering from the pain of rejection, abuse, loneliness, or do we see only the outward symptoms of the neglect and distraction that their internal defeat has produced?

Luke 8
v.43 Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. 
v.44 She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once the bleeding stopped.

Are we part of the crowd that rejoices when that which is impossible for man to do gets done and suffering is relieved and joy bubbles up and overflows, or are we part of the establishment who feels threatened when our world gets rocked by some power manifesting itself outside of our control?

Mark 10:48 And many were rebuking him that he would be quiet, but he was crying out all the more and he said, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This is the choice that each of us must make at some point or another: Do we jump in the river of the Spirit's flow, turbulent, tumultuous, uncontrollable, and let it sweep us away from our careful mooring, our safe and familiar harbor, and take the chance that our boat might get the paint scratched, but oh, what incredible sights we will see and what amazing adventures we will share? Or do we chose the known, the predictable, the safe and comfortable with its close boundaries which allow nothing unexpected until it restricts us to the point we realize we are imprisoned by our own fears?

Let God break in on your safe routine and in the topsy-turvy roller coaster that He will take you on, you will discover the indescribable joy of His freedom and the inexpressible pleasure of being a part of a world-shaking plan which will span the whole of creation. 

Romans 8
v.19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 
v.20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 
v.21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

Father God, what plans You have for us! What joys You have prepared for all who will accept the opening of their eyes, the freedom of a renewed mind, the liberty of the Spirit, the leading of the One who is Lord even of the Sabbath! Jesus, we acknowledge that we don't know how to move freely in the flow of Your Spirit, but we cry desperately to learn, and because of Your love for us, we trust You to teach us. Teach us to walk, to run, to fly in Your freedom, Your love, Your compassion, Lord! We give You the weight of our worries and our cares and we take on Your yoke, for it is so very light! Your love lifts us to the heavenlies, Father, we are in awe before Your throne! We bow to give You the honor and glory for Your majesty, and then You embrace us in front of Your entire court, breaking all the rules of protocol, and laughing with delight to welcome us to Your family. We love You, Lord, and we commit ourselves to follow You where You lead us, for You are the safest choice of all!

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