Submit To God

# 243 Today’s Living Word comes from Mark 1:27,28 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.”

Can you blame them for being amazed? They had just witnessed an exorcism! In stunned silence, the sense of the question they asked was this: “What have we seen here today?

First of all we have had this fresh authoritative teaching delivered to us, then with another demonstration of authority, a demon instantly obeys Him!” This was the twofold fame of Jesus that was spread throughout the region around Galilee. It was not just His power over demons, it was also His authoritative teaching.

When Jesus sent the seventy out to proclaim the kingdom, they returned ecstatic that the demons were subject to them, but He warned them to not rejoice over the authority they had over demons, but rather rejoice over the fact that their names were written in heaven!

It’s not about who is subject to us, it is about Who’s authority, by God’s grace, have we lovingly and willingly subjected ourselves to.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil (don't give in to him!) and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (James 4:7,8)

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.