-From the Bottom Up ~
-Mark 5:1-20

"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... So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him." (Mark 5:15,20)

There was probably no more earthly person in those days than one possessed by a demon. The story takes us from this man whose dwelling was in a burial chamber carved out of rock on the hillside, to the freedom of his being healed of the devil's dominance in his life. We read that he was clothed and in his right mind and moving on to the center of the city to proclaim "how much Jesus had done for him." There is nothing more powerful than a personal story. I was blind, but now I see. I was demon-possessed, but now I am free. I was lost, but now am found! Great joy comes from God's transformational work of love and grace.

We may not have found ourselves in such dire straits as the demon-possed man. But still God takes each one of us from the pit of our sin to a living testimony of how He has and is creating a new person in us.

The stories of lives transformed bring joy, hope, courage and renewal. We can't help but find joy in being part of God's redemptive plan and in telling others about it!

God's desire for us, His children, is to push us into a fresh awareness of His presence.

--Haven Today