Our reading for today is Luke 4:33-35
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.
In this story, the spirit obeyed Jesus–not because it wanted to, but because it had to. Even evil knows that resisting Jesus leads nowhere good. And what happened to the man? Though he was thrown down, he was left unharmed. That’s a message for us too. When we encounter Jesus, he makes us better than he found us.
Sometimes Jesus calls us to do things that feel hard–letting go of bitterness, choosing humility, turning the other cheek. These choices can feel hard. But when Jesus speaks, He speaks to heal, restore, and free. Even when obeying Jesus feels risky, painful, or confusing, it never is the wrong thing to do. Jesus never asks us to do something that isn’t for our good.
So don’t doubt Him. Do what He says. Trust His voice. Obedience to Jesus always leads to the right path. Always.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.