Jesus heals the demon-possessed man...

I was just reading Luke 8, where Jesus heals the demon-possessed man, and was really struck by verses 38 and 39. I'd never really paid them much attention before, but then, that's why we keep returning to Scripture over and over even when we've read it all before - you never know how a certain passage or story will speak to you or be illuminated for you in a new and different way as you grow and change and muddle your way through so much of life and its trials, blessings, and experiences.

Anyway, so in this passage, Jesus has just healed this guy who has been possessed by many demons for a long time. This man has been tormented by them and separated from his friends and his family by them, as they keep forcing him to go into the desert and out of society (sidenote: here's an example of Satan isolating his victim, a technique he seems to use so often, especially in a place like Wheaton, where it tragically has a history of working very well). Jesus comes along and casts the demons out of him and into a herd of pigs. Everyone who sees this guy, now acting completely normal and demon-free, is terrified, and their fear is so great they even tell Jesus to leave. And the man's response is found in verses 38 and 39: "The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.' And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.'"

This strikes me in two ways:
First of all, when Jesus heals me of my brokenness, like the healed man in this story, my response should be to want more of Jesus, not more of my family, friends, career, society, etc., even when I've been kept from them by and missing them because of that brokenness. It's not that these are necessarily bad things, but when the kid in this story was healed, the all-consuming desire of his heart was to be with Jesus. I think Jesus has been teaching me this over the years, but I still have a lot to learn.

Second of all, when I *do* have those days where the only thing I want is to be with Jesus, even if that means leaving behind all of the blessings of my current life, that's not always what God has for me. Not yet, anyway. Over the last month or so, I have had days where I long for heaven and for Jesus so deeply that I can hardly stand it...days where I, like the man in this story, BEG Jesus to let me just be with Him...but we don't always get this right away, even when it is the deepest desire of our hearts, and even though it's a GOOD desire. So for me to be reading this passage right now (God's timing is perfect), I feel like Jesus is saying to me the words He said to this man: "Declare how much God has done for you."

God, help me to spend my life proclaiming how much You have done for me. Help me to be content with your timing, even if that means I can't be with You yet. I praise You for how much You save me, every day, and for Your incredible timing which gives me exactly the manna I need exactly when I need it. Amen.