Sending Jesus Away, Asking Him to Stay

Sad sentence in the Bible at Mark 5:17: "And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region." Jesus had just cast many demons out of cemetery-dweiling "demoniac," and sent the demons to into a herd of pigs. The 2,000 pigs promptly ran off a cliff into the sea and drowned...which is a bad deal if you're a pig farmer, and just watched your entire livelihood destroyed. So the local townspeople, and the heads of the Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Development Authority asked Him to go elsewhere with His people-freeing/pig-killing program (even thought they KNEW of the miraculous healing of the "maniac". Meanwhile, the former "maniac" is sent back to his home area of Decapolis (means ten towns).... he's all the minister and missionary those people are going to need to hear from to learn about Jesus!!
Shortly in the narrative, a father will come to Jesus begging for him to come to his sick daughter's bedside. And a woman sick for 12 years will make a "power play" just to touch Him for the healing she believes in.....
Sooo... how to be sure to not miss Jesus' invitation, and the Holy Spirit's prompting for the day?
Years ago Johnny Cash sang a song entitled "I See Men as Trees Walking."  It refers to Mark 8, when Jesus healed a blind man.  There's a great line in the chorus: "Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, I would like to see!"  He seems to be willing to do what we sincerely ask of Him!

Been Wandering Lately?

Genesis 37:15 is a verse that I am so glad is in the Bible. It speaks of Joseph looking for his brothers (who will soon throw him in a well, and then sell him as a slave - maybe not his happiest trip). This is the great-grandson of the amazing Abraham... and he is destined to be the 2nd most powerful man in the most powerful nation of the time. But at this point, the Scripture says this young man on a mission (sent and instructed by his father Jacob) was "wandering in a field." A stranger found him, and learning of his quest, guided him on his way.
But it helps me to know (on days I'm unsure) that someone else (recorded in the Bible!!) has gotten completely lost, turned around, with no sense of correct direction... and has found themselves also "wandering in a field." NASB

Who You Really Are

Interesting story of Gideon in Judges 6 & 7. Midian has oppressed the Israelites for years, stealing their crops, livestock, (or destroying them) and more un-neighborly activities. The Lord responds to the cry of the "sons of Israel" by sending an Angel to visit Gideon. The Angel calls him a "man of valor" and invites him to use his strength and the Angel's calling to go free Israel from the Midianite oppressors.
Gideon basically says "You don't know who I am, I'm the least of the least around here!"
The Angel and Lord keep working with him: fleece (wet or dry), dreams of loaves of bread rolling into camps, soldiers drinking water in certain ways, sneaking around at night on various missions, flaming torches, blaring trumpets...
In Effect, the Angel and Lord said or demonstrated:"No, Gideon, the problem is: You Don't Know Who You Are When I'm With You!!"
I've long believed: "When the FATHER steps in, Everything changes!"