A Test of Faith

Mark 7:25-30 A woman heard that he was there. Her little daughter had an evil spirit inside her. So the woman came to Jesus and bowed down near his feet. She was not a Jew. She was born in Phoenicia, an area in Syria. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. Jesus told the woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.” She answered, “That is true, Lord. But the dogs under the table can eat the pieces of food that the children don’t eat.” Then he told her, “That is a very good answer. You may go. The demon has left your daughter.” The woman went home and found her daughter lying on the bed. The demon was gone.

If only God would make things easier than He does in our lives. If only He’d cut us some slack and just show up and help us when we need help. If only He’d just … Have you ever found yourself playing that “if-only” game with God?

Jesus did and said some truly outrageous things – things that would offend our sensibilities, like the time He called a woman a dog, simply because she wasn’t Jewish:

Mark 7:25-29 A woman heard that he was there. Her little daughter had an evil spirit inside her. So the woman came to Jesus and bowed down near his feet. She was not a Jew. She was born in Phoenicia, an area in Syria. She begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. Jesus told the woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.” She answered, “That is true, Lord. But the dogs under the table can eat the pieces of food that the children don’t eat.” Then he told her, “That is a very good answer. You may go. The demon has left your daughter.” The woman went home and found her daughter lying on the bed. The demon was gone.

At first, it seems outrageous. But He was playing on the cultural bigotry between Jews and Gentiles in order to test her faith – and the moment she showed her faith to be true, He set her daughter free.

In my experience, each and every time that God’s set about testing my faith, putting me through the wringer, from my perspective it’s seemed completely outrageous. And yet in His wisdom, all along, He was growing my faith so that He could bless me, or others through me, or indeed both.

Don’t be offended when God tests your faith.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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