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Philadelphia Metro
By John | September 5, 2008
From the Word : Open to appeals (from Mark 7:24-30)
”And He was saying to her, ‘ Let the chidren be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered and said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.’ And He said to her, ‘Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.’ “ (Mark 7:27-29).
Jesus saw fit to respond to her appeal. In her desperate need she was willing to humble herself, but also be persistent and not take His initial ‘no’ for the final answer. Why was He willing to consider her appeal and grant her request? In the companion passage in Mattthew 15, Jesus commends her for her faith and then heals her daughter. He always responds eagerly to faith. Hers is a faith borne of desperation. How often do I pray with a sense that Jesus is my only hope, and that unless He answers, all is lost? O may my faith have just enough desperation that it keeps me coming to Him in humility with the confidence that He can do what is needed. This also ought to keep me from self-centered and presumptive prayer.
One of our family guidelines over the years has been to give our children an appeal when a request of theirs has been denied. We came up with that idea early on after realizing that we tended to give them a negative answer too quickly, usually because their request would prove an inconvenience or a distraction. But by their appeal, it helps me to stop what I am doing and give more consideration to their request, and if it is reasonable, as often as not I have changed my answer.
Because Jesus understood things clearly, I don’t normally envision Him changing His mind - leave it to a woman to get Him to do that! This incident presents an aspect of Jesus that needs more thoughtful consideration for me. Lord Jesus, thank you that you were willing to reconsider your initial answer and reward her faith with the help she was hoping for. May I humbly persist in the things I am trusting You for, and not lose heart, knowing that You want what is best for me. Amen.
Please pray with us:
This Saturday Dick Taylor, one of the Nav missionaries on our team here, is conducting a seminar, “The Devotional Life of the Leader”. People connected with Nav ministries in the metro area have been invited. The purpose of the seminar is to motivate and equip people to deepen their devotional life. Please pray with us that those who attend will take to heart the importance of regular devotions as a key to a vibrant relationship with Christ and the foundation for fruitfulness and influence.
Topics: In the Word and Prayer |