The Beautiful Sacrifice of Waiting on the Lord for the Salvation of Sinners

And he that had been possessed with the devil, prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee. (Mark 5:18-19, KJV)

“As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”” (Mark 5:18–19, ESV)

MARK this, my soul, and especially when at any time thy Jesus is so graciously revealing himself to thee, in a way of love that thou art longing to be absent from the body, that thou mayest be present with the Lord; think, then, of what Jesus said to this poor man. The thought of being made instrumental in the hand of the Lord in calling sinners to Jesus, made holy Paul willing to wait in a sinful world, and put off his own happiness. Precious frame of mind! Paul knew also, that if the Lord housed his children from the lions’ dens and from the mountains of leopards, as soon as he had brought them to the knowledge of himself, then, in this case, Jesus would have no church in the wilderness. The holy seed would not be found amidst the tares of the earth. Blessed Lord! give grace to every exercised child of thine to think of this; that when, under the various trials with which thy wisdom and love seeth fit to try their graces, they long to be home with thee, and are sending forth the cry of the soul for dismission, they may hear thy voice speaking as to this poor man, “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.” But pause, my soul! Is this thy case? Hath Jesus done great things for thee, and art thou proclaiming it abroad to call others to partake? Suppose one from the throng was to ask thee, What is thy Beloved more than another beloved? What would be thy answer? Wouldest thou say, how he hath blest thee in health, or wealth, or worldly success, or prosperity; in friends, and relations, and the like? And are these all the things or the chief of them that thou couldest speak of? If so, what are these more than carnal men can, and do speak of? The infidel, the Turk, the Pagan, can boast as much! But if thou canst say, “Oh, come hither and harken, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul! I was once darkness, and am now light in the Lord! I was once in Satan’s chains, and Jesus hath set me free! I was once like this poor man, under the possession of sin and Satan; but now I sit down at the feet of Jesus, to hear the gracious words which proceed out of his mouth!” Here, my soul, this is indeed to tell thy friends how great things the Lord hath done for thee. Oh for grace thus to proclaim his adorable name while on earth, until Jesus comes to take me home to himself, there to sound his praise before the whole redeemed church of God for ever!

Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Morning Portion (pp. 137–138). Robert Carter. (Public Domain)