Mark 1:38
To understand the 4th words spoken here by Jesus as recorded by John Mark, we need to have a look at prophetic words of the prophet Isaiah who is prophesying about Jesus in Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” In the verses prior to this one in Mark, Jesus had spent some time at the home of Simon and Andrew where the whole town followed Him and waited outside the door for healing of diseases and freedom from demons which Jesus performed later on that evening. The next morning, Jesus went by Himself to a solitary place to pray. After spending some time with God, Jesus decided to leave and go to the nearby villages in order to minister to even more people as He was genuinely focused on the reason that He was here. Indeed, a relationship with Christ will provide freedom from sin and comfort from the Holy Spirit in any circumstance as well as favor from the Lord as you will be reunited with your creator from whom all favor and good things come. However, the practical application of today’s verse is to always stay focused on the reason that you are here as it is easy to get comfortable and to revert back to trusting in your own abilities after the Lord has blessed your life through ministering to other people through His Spirit who is living inside of your heart of hearts. It is easy to sit back and enjoy the new friends that God has given you and the comforts of His love and it is common to even let a little pride slip in as you see His Spirit working in and through your life. I would challenge you today to always be seeking God’s direction and wisdom for what He would want you to do next. We live in a world that is full of brokenhearted people who are begging for healing and freedom and favor that comes from a relationship with Jesus and you are the hands and feet of our Savior who wants to use you in a new way today in order that His splendor can be displayed in and through your life to someone new who desperately needs the healing touch of Jesus. Step out of your comfort zone today in order that more people would see and know our Lord and Savior who has set your heart free!
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