From Mess to Message

<p>Darryl was a baseball legend who nearly destroyed his life with drugs. But Jesus set him free, and he&rsquo;s been clean for years. Today he helps others struggling with addiction and points them to faith. Looking back, he affirms that God turned his mess into a message.</p> <p>Nothing is too hard for God. When Jesus came ashore near a cemetery after a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, a man possessed by darkness immediately approached Him. Jesus spoke to the demons inside him, drove them away, and set him free.</p> <p>When Jesus left, the man begged to go along. But Jesus didn&rsquo;t allow it, because He had work for him to do: &ldquo;Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you&rdquo; (Mark 5:19).</p> <p>We never see the man again, but Scripture shows us something intriguing. The people of that region had fearfully pleaded with Jesus &ldquo;to leave&rdquo; (v. 17), but the next time He returned there, a large crowd gathered (8:1). Could the crowd have resulted from Jesus sending the man? Could it be that he, once dominated by darkness, became one of the first missionaries, effectively communicating Jesus&rsquo;s power to save?</p> <p>We&rsquo;ll never know this side of heaven, but this much is clear. When God sets us free to serve Him, He can turn even a messy past into a message of hope and love.</p>