Psalm 142:7 ~ Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Jesus met a man one time who come out of the tombs with an unclean spirit. No one could tame him. The man was eaten up with many evil spirits.

I too, have spent much time surrounded by uncleanness. My thoughts chaotic, double minded, self willed, doing what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. I could keep it together for a while but eventually the junk inside of me would be exposed with the pressures of life. I’m like a tube of toothpaste. I look fine when the pressures of life don’t squeeze me but if I get squeezed too much, what is in me, good or bad, comes out and it gets on everything and everyone. I have held it together and then BOOM, I explode with rage. Love should have come out of me, light should have come out of me. All of those things that troubled me were opportunities to show the greatness of the Lord within me. Those troublesome episodes in my life were opportunities to glorify the Lord and because I was double minded and allowing my mind to hang around the dead hopes (tombs) of this world I was exposed for what I was; not a man after God’s own heart but a faithless person. Medications didn’t help. Worldly counsel didn’t help.

This man, like me, spent a little too much time around dead things, dead works, and self willed living. A legion of unclean spirits was eating him up and making him look like a wild man and a lunatic. Men would try to chain him and contain him. They couldn’t. Night and day this man would cry and cut himself.

BUT

Here comes Jesus.

Jesus can tame a wild heart, heal a hurting heart, and place one in their right mind with His Word. Even Jesus from afar off can heal brokenness. The man seen Jesus afar off, ran and worshipped him. Jesus commanded the unclean spirits out of the man and the man was immediately seen clothed and in his right mind. Jesus told the man to go home to his friends, and tell them the great things the Lord has done for you and how the Lord has had compassion on you.

I feel a kindred spirit with this man. Like him, I want to stay in that place where I experienced Jesus for the first time. I’ve asked to stay on the mountain top with Him but my spirit feels that He has forbid it for now and that I am commanded to go and tell everyone about this man Jesus who has gotten hold of my heart. Recently, I can tell, when friends and associates give me tough news that they expect me to go off, get depressed, or become angry but the Holy Spirit that works within me is guiding me and keeping me. I can see that many don’t trust that the changes are real. That doesn’t trouble me at all. His grace is sufficient. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect but I promise I will do better because of my Jesus.

In faith I believe He is filling my toothpaste tube up with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self control, and faith. I’m a work in progress and the workman is perfect. He is the Christ, the Holy Spirit. As life squeezes me, I am beginning to see opportunities to represent my Father. After all He has done for me, I feel it’s my reasonable service.

A testimony Thursday, September 9, 2021.