Daily Bread 10-25-18

Mark 7:26-29

26. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

27. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meat to take the children's bread, and cast it unto the dogs.

28. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29 And he said unto her, For that saying go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

ref. - Mt 15:23-28 - 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 master's 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.

Mt 7:6 - Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Mt 10:5,6 - This twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

This was a benefit and a gospel that was meant for God's chosen people. Does this mean a race or creed or color? No, what it means today is that it is for those who will step out in faith and believe. The only thing that made any of these people recipients of the mercy and miracles that Jesus Christ brought was that they truly believed in him. Even his own were turning him away in droves but there were many who had a genuine hunger and thirst for what he had to offer. Some times we forget what we need to do to receive and we stand waiting for something like we deserve it. In truth, not one of us today is by lineage qualified to just receive these things. We must all realize that we are, or were, the pigs and dogs that could not receive his goodness and mercy, but by stepping out in faith we were given what we needed. Humility is the key to becoming faithful. Knowing that it is not just handed out because we have a need or desire but that we are willing to receive whatever it is that God's will provides. Not necessarily the answer or the cure that we desire carnally but the need that is inside of our souls fulfilled. We can look a the loss of a loved one that is battling cancer perhaps. We can pray for healing and believe and know that God will help that loved one. But what if his way of helping that loved one is to take them home and remove that disease by taking them from that diseased body. God has still answered our prayers. But in his will and not what we expected. Are we willing and ready to accept the answers as he will give them to what we pray for? Even if we think we should have a meal and he only gives us a crumb? We must, as the Apostle Paul said, learn to be content whether abased or abound. Whether God gives us exactly what we have dreamed of the answer to our prayers to be, or if he answers us a different way. Today, let us realize that not one of us was sitting at the table from the beginning and that we were once content with just a crumb or a morsel. Let's not act spoiled and greedy. Let us just wait silently and allow God to work and with as he answers our prayers. Stay faithful!! Stay humble!! And stay blessed!!! Have a great day!!!