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“And when He [the Lord Jesus] was come into the ship, 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, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:18-19).
“Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am” (John 17:24).
The man who had been possessed by many demons wanted to be with the Lord Jesus, after the demons were cast out of him. But the Lord Jesus had work for him to do, and instead of allowing the man to get into the ship with Him, He told him to go and tell his friends what the Lord had done for him. The Lord Jesus needed someone there who would tell others about Him. Happily, the man was obedient, and it tells us that “all men did marvel” (Mark 5:20).
The Lord Jesus does want us to be with Him, and He expresses that wish in His prayer to His Father in our second verse for today. He is coming soon, and then we will be with Him forever. But now is the time to serve Him, and to enjoy His presence by faith. He is always with us in this way, but soon we will see Him face to face.
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