Tuesday, September 14, 2010 — IDOK Devotion

To review names of Praying for These click  here.

In Matthew 15:21, was JESUS playing the ‘devil’s advocate’ as a means to teach, heal and rescue? Would He do that? Let’s examine this together.

Would you agree in certain hard situations we are tempted to think the LORD seems hard, cold, and even mean?  Like in this passage?

Matthew 15: (New American Standard Bible) ²²And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”  ²³But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”  ²⁴But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  ²⁵But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”  ²⁶And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  ²⁷But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  ²⁸Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.

The Canaanite woman was crying after Him; yet I am wondering was verse 24 directed to the disciples? Is that what they thought; that He came only for Israel?  Is that why they wanted to send her away?  Was she embarrassing them? For in verse 23 the disciples said, ‘send her away’.  He didn’t.

I think the very fact that He did not send her away when the disciples said He should; that encouraged her.  And yet He answered with what seems like coldness.  And still she persisted.  Why did she?  Did she persist because she had heard that He was able to heal? Had she heard He had power over demons? For myself, I am certain that is exactly what she had heard. But now in this moment, how would she process His firmness in the workings of her own ‘gray matter’? (How would I? How would you?) Obviously she was willing to take it to get help for her daughter. She said in verse 25 ‘Lord, help me’! She had heard Him say He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.  She knew she was not an Israeli.  Why did she ask Him for help anyway? Did she figure He was able and she had nothing to lose by asking?  Perhaps.  So why did she persist and would I? Do I? Would you? Do you?

Verse 26 leaves no doubt in my mind that she was aware that the Jews thought of her as a dog. Did that stop her? No.  I wonder if she thought: ‘Dog or not, Lord, I am here; and besides that in Jewish houses the dogs do get to eat.  Cold, hard folks that they are they let the dogs fed from their tables.  That’s okay with me, I’ll take the crumbs. I’ll even humble myself and get under the table for those crumbs.  That will be enough for me.  That will be enough to heal my daughter and that’s all I’m asking.  I’m not asking to sit AT the table.  I’m just asking You to heal my daughter.’

And then verse 28.  “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish”. And her daughter was healed at once.

Can you imagine? The LORD said to the woman (not dog) – your faith is great! Not only did He heal her daughter but He recognized her! He acknowledged her.  He validated her.  (It’s a whole other lesson, but can you imagine what this happening said to the disciples? To the people standing around?!) There is no doubt in my mind; she knew she was not a dog to Him.

I wonder how often we let the world and the evil one tell us we are ‘dogs’.  I wonder how often we let the world and the devil tell us we are insignificant and we should just keep our mouths shut … don’t come to the table, not even to ask for crumbs, much less SIT at the table?

Would we allow this Passage – would we allow the Holy Spirit to take this passage and teach us that we are the children and the table IS set for us – come, ask, seek, find? Find healing for our souls.  Find healing for our families.  Find healing for marriages.  Find restoration.  Find deliverance from strongholds.  Find whatever – you name it.  Would we be willing to take the gruff and junk of others and even the seemingly gruffness of the LORD when we wait and wait and wait; in order to finally hear Him praise us and give us that very thing we are asking Him to give us?

Would we?  She did.  And in the process she got more than a healing for her daughter; JESUS praised her!  And in His praise  was His love for her and His acceptance of her.  What more could we ask?

This feeds, corrects and encourages me, ABBA, and I am grateful.  And as it reaches the screens of our IDOKs, I pray, Holy Spirit, that You will minister it to their hearts; that You will tend them in the love and mercy as You have tended me.

And I pray with them now, in union across these screens, for our IDOK Troops, for their safety and protection; for them in spirit, soul and body to be safe; and most of all for them in those hostile places to be guided and filled with Your Peace and for them to live honorably for Your Name sake.   And we together pray too for our Praying for These list; seeking only to please You and for each of them to have the very best You have for them.  And I dare not forget to pray for Israel; for peace and protection and their gathering to You and for them to stand firm and hold in faith what You have already given them. And I pray for we the Church that You will bring us to full repentance and full surrender to Your LORDSHIP and for America I pray for mercy and that we will repent and bless the world again with Your Goodness and Holiness alive and thriving in us.  Amen and amen in the NAME OF OUR GLORIOUS SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.