When God Doesn’t Seem Good

In Matthew 15 and Mark 7, the story is recorded of a Syro-Phoenician Woman who asks Jesus to heal her daughter. Every time I read this story, I see something new. And as we’ve been speaking of pressing through it seems yet another lesson is here, waiting for us to get it.

The woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter, but at first it seems as if Jesus is saying He won’t do it. “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

My translation: “Look lady, I am supposed to come first, as it was prophesied, to tell the children of God, the Jews, the Good News that their Messiah has come. [Then the message will be shared with everybody else.]”

The woman heard Jesus was able to heal. Faith comes by hearing. Even though at first it seemed as if she was not going to receive what she asked for, yet because of her faith, she pressed through what could have been a great discouragement, to continue to believe in the goodness of Jesus when she wasn’t yet seeing it.

“Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

Wow. She just got really humble. She got really low, and she pressed through to seek the miracle she so desperately needed.

Jesus’ response “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

My translation: “That kind of heart is exactly the kind of heart I’m looking for. You kept believing even when you were met with discouragement. Now people for generations to come will read your story and be encouraged by your boldness and great faith. I knew you would do it! And your daughter is healed!”

Do you have the faith to press through and believe God is who He says He is, and can do what He says He can do, even when you don’t see it? I want to have that kind of faith! Ask God to help you press through…and believe!

xCC

P.S. I talked about this same story a while back right here, if you want to read more.