Today's Bible Reading: Matthew 8
I'm struck by the contrast of those who came to Jesus in this chapter. This is essentially very early in Jesus' ministry (immediately following the Sermon on the Mount) and we see that it didn't take long for Jesus to cause quite a stir!

The Leper: living a condemned life of loneliness gets his life back
The Centurion: realizes the magnitude of Jesus' authority
The nameless crowds: I'm amazed at the huge numbers of people who were never named yet had their lives completely restored by Jesus through these miracles.
The Gadarenes: this town sees two of their own restored, yet they don't receive Jesus - they beg him to leave them alone. Did they ever learn about what they missed out on?

Today, Jesus is making His rounds still. He still desires to give us more life, more joy, and more fullness. He still desires to heal us, restore us, and protect us.

Are we receiving Him? Or are we asking Him to leave us alone?