Day 4 – Faith that doesn’t take no for an answer

“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Matthew 15:22-28 (KJV)

In the gospel of Matthew 15:21–28, a Canaanite woman cried out for her daughter’s deliverance. At first, Jesus was silent. Then, He spoke in a way that seemed dismissive, comparing the woman to a dog. Many would have walked away wounded and offended. But she stayed. She responded with humility and boldness intertwined. She believed even a crumb of His power would be enough.

That is roof-lifting faith. It is not fragile. It is not easily offended. It clings to hope even when the conversation feels uncomfortable. And Jesus commended her: “𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩.”

Maybe you are being put in a situation where you can be offended, or uncomfortable, or where your faith starts to feel fragile. Jesus might be trying to see how strong your faith is and if you will keep on believing in Him, even in difficult circumstances. He wants to see how much you trust Him. When we persist in the faith, this woman shows us that the reward is truly magnificent.

Prayer:Dear Jesus, sometimes my faith feels fragile, or it feels like I am the dog only getting the crumbs from the master’s table. Please help me to persist in faith and to remember you are always there, even when my faith is being tested. Amen.

Michelle Horn