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It’s just a slight cough.
I said this as I walked out the door last week and headed into the office. I work from home most days, but today, I needed to go to the Global Center, about a 3-hour drive from my house.
The further I drove, the worse I felt.
By Southside, I decided to turn around and head home. I kept thinking, “If I feel this bad right now, I don’t think I could make the 3-hour drive later today.” Plus, whatever I had, I certainly didn’t want to share it.
By the time I made it home, I was completely exhausted and curled up in bed.
Body aches, fever, congestion, cough, shortness of breath, headache, and extreme fatigue plagued me for a week.
Covid.
Somehow, through all of it, my husband managed to not get it. Thankfully! But seeing the condition I was in and the pain I endured, he told me that if he could, he would take it away from me. He would take this dreadful illness on himself to free me from it if he could.
Acts 16:16-24
“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.”
A young slave girl who was possessed by a demon. For how long? It doesn’t say. But it was long enough for someone to take advantage of her horrible situation and use it to make money. Demons aren’t interested in setting up house inside someone and laying out the doilies and the fancy china. They are the enemy, seeking to steal, kill, and destroy.
Paul knew what was happening. He knew the demon was trying to get rid of him and his friends. The demon knew very well who God was and that the Romans didn’t and wouldn’t welcome Him here.
Paul wasn’t ignorant. Remember, the gate entering the city had the inscription that no other religions were welcome here. He knew he would face the consequences if he spoke about God in the city.
He looked upon that slave girl, and he made the decision.
He traded his freedom for hers.
He was willing to take on the consequences and face whatever came in order for her to be freed from this demon and horrific life.
He was stripped naked, beaten, whipped, and chained in prison because of that act of selflessness.
And even though it feels like the enemy won, God wasn’t finished yet.
There was another young girl who was a slave to sin. And a man saw her dirty, used, and broken. He knew the consequences, but He chose to do it anyway. He traded His freedom for hers.
Jesus gave His life for mine.
He took on my sins and the death they deserved so that I could be free and live.
But not just me. He did that for you, too.
Do you realize that?
He loved us so much that He gave up everything for us.
And even as Jesus was taken down from the cross and men and women walked away, the enemy believed he had won…
God wasn’t finished yet.
Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and lives! He defeated the power of sin and death! He has the victory! And He offers that to you today. Will you follow Him?
If you’d like to learn how and what that looks like, go to follow.lifeword.org.
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