Day Thirty-One
DAY THIRTY-ONE
I did my big Christmas grocery shop on Sunday night, determined to not have to go out again and battle the crowds this week! I was all stocked up…..until I got out some old favorite recipes, and found that I was missing three items, items I ALWAYS have in the pantry but for some reason were completely depleted. When we live by faith we expend faith. We can have faith in supply and then realize that day-by-day we have been using it to live, and it has dwindled without us being aware it is in short supply. When we run out of gas we go to the gas station, when we run out of groceries, we go to the grocery store, when you run out of faith where do you go…….??
It’s a great question to ask yourself. Over the last two days we have looked at the qualities that are present in those who have GREAT supplies of faith.
PEOPLE WITH GREAT FAITH:
- Don’t settle for what life hands them, they are not content with the status quo.
- Have humility, and ask even when it means feeling vulnerable.
- Recognize that Jesus has the authority to command heaven’s resource at His Word
- Don’t take heaven’s silence personally
- Are persistent in their asking and do not give up
- Push past the constraints of culture and other people’s opinions
I just feel to linger on pushing past the opinions of others for today. It’s Christmas and Christmas means family, and well, there’s nothing as intimidating as the opinions of those we love or seek to be loved by! The Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 is asking Jesus to heal her daughter and Jesus did not answer a word. The disciples take Jesus silence as His disapproval of her, or His lack of desire to grant her request.
“So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
She didn’t get an answer from Jesus but that doesn’t deter her, she begs the disciples to ask on her behalf, she is relentless in her determination to find healing for her daughter. You’d think that the disciples of Jesus would have compassion on her, they were sent out two by two in Luke 9 to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. I often think that this story is more about the lack of faith the disciples had, contrasted with the great faith of this woman. Jesus is silent and the disciples view her as a nuisance. I know many times I have been in the situation where I’m believing God for a miracle, I know I have faith but the moment I express that out loud, I wish I hadn’t because there are people who think that what I’m asking for is out of the question, even presumptuous, because heaven seems to be silent.
Some of you are believing for children to be restored back to relationship with both you and God, and people don’t even ask anymore how they are going. It’s like they want you to quit, to admit it’s hopeless. Or maybe friends tell you to walk away from your marriage because it will never work. I don’t know what you are believing for today, but can I encourage you to keep crying out, don’t take heaven’s silence as a “no” and don’t take any notice of those around you who would rather you just drop your request because THEY don’t have the faith to receive what you are asking for. The words “Your request is granted” are worth waiting for!
Scripture to meditate on: Matthew 15:1-28