Day Thirty
DAY THIRTY
There are only two people in the New Testament that Jesus described as having great stories of faith, both of them were not Jewish.
Matthew 15:21-28
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
One of the reasons people don’t see answers to the prayer is because they are easily disappointed. Faith diminishes when disappointment so easily gets us down. Faith leaks from us when we don’t get what we want in the time we want it because we are so insecure. We are not really convinced of God’s love provision or grace and so all delays are viewed as rejection. However if we could understand that the purpose of delay is not to deny you what you need, but to develop you and prepare you, i think we would respond differently. It’s much easier to deal with something if you know its a test. so think of the delay, the blockage and the lack of breakthrough as a test. Tests are meant to be passed. When tests are completed, promotion and advancement takes place.
The woman in this story not only passed the test, she topped her class. Jesus was super impressed by her persistence. By her superior belief in him that she would continue to ask even after she had been ignored, even after she had been rebuffed. That she would continue to press in when she knew that she wasn’t under God’s favor. Jesus had been called to the ‘lost sheep of Israel’ not to the Samaritan’s and yet not even that fact shifted her resolve. She had a need, Jesus had the answer and she just kept pushing, kept asking, kept responding positively. She didn’t get offended, get distracted or get rejected. She chose to believe that Jesus had the answer she needed and believed that if she could just persuade him, she would get her daughter healed. That if she could just get his attention, she would get what she needed. Her faith suspended the rules. It over rode the norm. it broke through the barrier. Her faith caused Jesus to suspend the rules that kept her out.
If an outsider can break through, then you who are highly loved and under Grace, need to realise who you are and persist till the answer is given, the miracle is activated and the need is met. Faith is so powerful it penetrates the walls of silence and rejection, and the opinions of others. Faith is not powerful faith till it refuses to give up until the answer has arrived. This is the thing that overcomes the world….even our Faith. Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of Faith.
So get up today and fight. Fight for your family, fight in prayer and confession the fight for your finances. Speak over your job and declare God’s grace and favor. And watch what God does with your continual confession of faith.