In the New Testament, we read several incidents where Jesus cast out demons.  As He approached these individuals, the demons inside of them would cry out to Jesus by name or identify Him as the son of God, begging for mercy.

Mark 3:11 (NLT) tells us that Jesus didn’t even have to approach these demons with an intent to destroy them, he could just be near them. “And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, they would fall down in front of him shrieking ‘You are the son of God!'”

Do I recognize Jesus when He passes near me? Those demons do.  Am I any better than them?

After reading this portion of scripture again last week, I challenged myself to find Jesus in my day. EVERY day. Not just in the obvious places, but in the places that I would least expect to find him- in a conflict at work, during a stressful home situation, in my frustrated moments.   I need to identify His presence in those moments.

I challenged myself to find Him and to write it down.  Writing it invokes muscle memory- the more parts of your body you use to learn something, the greater your ability will be to recall it.  Not only will you be able to look back and read it, but your brain and body will remember as well.

He was a living, breathing person in this scripture reference.  But His presence and His power are still just as alive today.  As His children, we need to develop a keen sense of his presence. This takes practice. Recognize His voice in the midst of noise.  Recognize His presence in the midst of chaos.

-Shiney