Daily Devotional for October 9

​

October 9                                                    Matthew 8:28-34

Imagine the peace the men in today's Scripture must have felt
as the demons left them. What a sweet burst of freedom that
must have been. No longer forced to live in the darkness of
the tomb. No longer tormented by evil. No longer out of con-
trol, but touched by Christ, free to be just as God had made
them.

What a marvelous cure Jesus wrought simply by using the
instruments near at hand: a herd of wild pigs. In the hands
of Christ, these ancestors of our farm animals became mighty
tools that Christ used to destroy demons and drive evil out
of our world.

Jesus could have called for a flock of eagles. With a snap of
his fingers, he could have commanded a pride of lions to take
away the demons. Actually, no snap would have been needed.
If God had wanted them, the lions and eagles would have been
there. Instead, Jesus used simply what God had provided to
do what was needed. Pigs were sufficient.

Jesus' example teaches us to use the means available to us to
perform God's work. When yoked to the power of God, even
the most ordinary instruments can become a part of the heal-
ing and transformation of the world. We do not, therefore,
need to look for the extraordinary in order to fulfill our call
to proclaim the Gospel. With Christ at our side, we are more
than equipped to heal, teach, and drive out evil.

And if a few "wild pigs" come our way, that's okay, too. Christ
works wonders with unruly livestock.

                                 Precious Jesus,
                  show us the means to drive out evil
      from our world today and to restore the peace and
                 harmony you intended for us. Amen.

​

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.1989