back to archive list

November 12, 2026

 

And they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He had come out onto the land, He was met by a certain man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28 And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” For He had been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard; and yet he would burst his fetters and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And  he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31 And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain, and the demons entreated Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. 33 And the demons came out from the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned. 34 And when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country.  35 And the people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36 And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. 37 And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to depart from them for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat, and returned. 38 But the man from whom the demons and gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.’ And he went away proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

Luke 8:26-39


 

GOD’S PERFECT SOVEREIGNTY

 

The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is critical to handling the storms that come into our lives and to loosening the chains that bind us.

Sovereignty, in its simplest form, means “who is in control.” The sovereign in any country was the king or the queen. They were totally in control of their subjects (or citizens). A wicked sovereign made life miserable for the people. A merciful, benevolent ruler made life worth the struggle for those under their rule.

I once heard a very prominent Bible teacher say, “If a single molecule in all of creation is outside of God’s control, then He is not sovereign.” He was saying that if God was not in control of everything, then He was not God. I believe this to be true.

But it can be a hard doctrine to accept.

If God is in control of all things, “Why did my daughter’s husband die so unexpectedly?” (A real incident from our church.) Is God sovereign over this cancer that is killing a friend, or loved one, or me? Is God in my child’s recent rebellion? Why did my husband or wife of so many years suddenly decide our marriage was over?

All questions being asked in our NorthStar family right now.

If God is indeed in control of every molecule in the universe, including the cancerous ones, then how can He be a good God?

Well, the answer is hard, and this may not help, but looking back on my own questions born out of great pain and fear, I can truthfully say that God is indeed GOOD, in spite of the decades of heartache and fear.

He was preparing my heart, originally, and then year after year, to produce the crop He wanted me to produce. He was with me in the storms (and I mean hurricane-force at some points), just waiting for me to call out to Him for rescue; and in His time, He calmed the wind and the waves.

He came out of His way to cast out my demons and to set me free from him who had shackled me with sin so that I would sit at His feet and worship. He clothed my nakedness, brought me back from the desert, and has prepared a mansion for me in His home; no more tombs for me!

Paul, writing to the Romans, said it best in chapter 5, verses 3-5:

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts (soil) through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

God is sovereignly in the soil prep of our hearts! God is in the storms that threaten to drown us and cripple us with fear! God is actively involved in rescuing us from the control of the enemy!

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

But He will ask us the same question He asked the disciples after He had calmed the storm: “Where is your faith?” Or He will ask us the same questions He asked of Job in chapters 38-41: “Who are you to question Me?”

Does the Father mind when we ask Him difficult questions? Of course not! In fact, I believe He expects them, and He encourages them!

But if they are asked outside the bounds of faith, then He will chastise us appropriately. If we ask in an accusatory way, like the disciples did, then we will feel the weight of His authority and tremble, and rightly so.

So, if the heart is hard and dry, but you recognize His plow, succumb to it. If the storm is raging around you, cry out to Him earlier rather than later.

And if He has freed you from your demons, then sit at His feet and worship until He tells you what He wants you to do. Then go do it!

Tomorrow, we wrap up this journey with Purpose!

He loves you so much forever!


 

Quite simply, Dave Griffith loves getting to know Jesus better by studying His Word daily and is passionate about teaching his siblings in Christ how to study His Word as well. He is passionately in love and like with his helpmate, Jackie; and is most fulfilled when he is hanging with his 10 kids (3 of his, 2 of Jackie’s, 3 are married, 2 more spiritually adopted) and 9 grandkids. He is a small group leader and a men’s group leader. He is a serial entrepreneur owning or having owned numerous businesses. He also enjoys naps!