Daily Deviation February 1

February 1: Mark 1:21-28

KJV Key Verse: Mark 1:27
And they were all amazed , insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying , What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

Devotion:
When Jesus preached in the synagogues there was a big difference between how He preached and how others before Him were preaching. Jesus taught them with authority because He knew the word as opposed to having learned the word. Jesus did not hold back on His teaching but made sure people heard the truth! So what about the parables? It is all about teaching at the right level for the people you are teaching. When Jesus was in the synagogues He was addressing people who should know the scriptures so He taught them with straight talking. When He was talking to people who were still learning, He would give encouragement to learn more by opening doors for them to seek more.

God wants us to seek Him, not to be bashed around the head until we don’t know anything else! By laying down the foundations and then inviting you in to seek more He is encouraging you to find the truth out for yourselves and not to just accept what He says (even though it is the truth!)

Sometimes it will take more than just a word before we listen, sometimes it takes an action for us to see that the word is true. Sometimes we have to be persuaded by more than words. God is willing to use whatever it will take and that may well be a whole lot more than we expected. The people in the synagogues were not expecting Jesus to be able to command evil spirits to get out of people. That is what was needed at that time for at least one person present to take on board the truth.

We are all so very different and we all respond in very different ways to the truth. It is difficult for us to figure out what has to be said at the right time for people to believe us – so we should be making sure that the Holy Spirit is the one guiding us in those times. He can know what is needed when we are reduced to nothing by the people around us. Trust in Him and believe in Him.

Points to Ponder:
Do you get worried about teaching?

Are you depending on the Holy Spirit?