So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Mark 9:20 (TNIV)
By now everyone was watching expectantly. Jesus was on the scene. The power and authority of Jesus was in question. Even the followers of Jesus had failed to make any improvement on the ailing child´s affliction. But when they brought the boy to Jesus, it all became clear. When the evil which held the boy came within the presence of Jesus, it threw itself into a fit. It shook the poor child with a violent seizure. He was thrown to the ground in convulsions and he foamed at the mouth. That dark force which mysteriously had stricken this boy for years came into direct contact with the Son of God. The weight of the moment was too much for its dark purposes. It reacted violently. It fought out against the sight of the One so pure that it could not stand in the light of His presence.
Modern trends would have us water down the weight of this moment. We might be tempted to look to medicine for an explanation of the boy’s condition. We may fall to taking our own eyes off of Jesus to look for answers. But would we be robbing ourselves of His instruction today? Would we take away another opportunity He provides for us to draw a little closer to Him and His intentions?
Whatever the case, evil and darkness were present. Call it epilepsy or an evil spirit. It was obviously deliberately afflicting this child and preventing him from a healthy life. Whatever it was, it was conscious of the moment when it came into the presence of the Divine. It could not stand in the light of Jesus.
What about us? What about those around us? What is our reaction today? Do we realize the moment we are confronted with the Divine? Do we sense a presence when we bow to pray? Is there something that sweeps over us when we approach the Lord with our hearts? Or are we deliberately holding out? Do we remain distant and not let our hearts approach Jesus out of fear of what will happen. Are we scared that some dark force within us will not be too happy to be exposed to the light of Jesus? Or have we given up long ago? Have we placed religion in a comfortably safe category where we question little and give little thought?
We may have fears. Those fears may be real. They may have crept secretly in with the help of some dark evil force. But there is coming a day when we will be brought to Jesus. There is an upcoming event that will place us within His presence. What will our reaction be? Will our hearts be thrilled to finally see the One whom we have sought so hungrily? Will it be just the next great step in our marriage with the One we love? Will we find ourselves so familiar to hearing His voice that the sound of it is not terrifying but sweet? Or will our eternal fate hang in jeopardy when it finds itself without defense? Will the brilliance of His purity and presence expose our cleverly hidden sins? Will the terror of the moment seize us when we finally do stand in the actual presence of Jesus?
Dear Jesus, we know that one day we will be brought before You. We know that all eternity hangs on whether we are found in a loving relationship with You. We know that evil forces constantly try to creep in and separate us from You. Those dark spirits would seize us unawares and make us unable to stand in Your presence. Please let us come to You today. Let us approach You for healing. Restore us to You right now. Do this we pray so that on that coming day our hearts will not be thrown into a convulsion of fear. We would recognize You in our hearts and there will be no other place where we want to be.
Amen
Searching For Christ 
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