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 15:28 What kind of faith does God favor? I believe that the obvious answer to that question has to be, real faith. However, faith is as much a matter of cultivation as it is choice. You see, although faith begins with one’s choice to trust God, it is developed and matured through a series of trials and testing. Now I know that’s not what any of us want to hear, but nevertheless, it’s true. I’m finding out that far too many of God’s people profess faith, but in actuality, don’t practice faith, because faith that cannot withstand testing, cannot be trusted. I remember hearing an old preacher say it this way, “If your faith fizzles before the finish, it was faulty from the first,” and I believe he’s right, because any professed faith that won’t take you through the tough times is worthless. Matthew chapter 15 deals with a woman whose faith was put to the test by none other than Jesus Himself. Now, to her credit, she passed the test, receiving not only her petition from the Lord, but His praise as well. Even when it looked as though the Lord would refuse her request, she persisted in faith. That’s the kind of faith that many saints these days know little about. It is however, the kind of faith that God wants to cultivate in us. As I studied this chapter, I noticed how God developed this woman’s faith. My prayer is that we will allow God to develop our faith as well, so today, I’d like to challenge you by posing this question, what are the characteristics of a faith that God favors? First and foremost, I looked at the woman’s request and I noted from Matthew 15:21-22 that the area mentioned here was strictly Gentile territory. This woman was a Canaanite, and would have been viewed by the Jews as nothing more than a dog. Secondly, I noted that apparently this woman had heard much about Jesus, for she refers to Him as “son of David,” which was a Messianic designation. Thirdly, I noted that no doubt this woman had heard of all the miracles that Jesus had performed. But the last thing that struck me was the thought that faith is not needed for the feasible. You see, this woman made a plea for something totally outside the scope of her ability. There was absolutely no way she could deliver her demon-possessed daughter on her own, oh but God. You see I found out that He specializes in these kinds of situations, for the Bible tells us, “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who doeth wondrous things.” (cf. Psalms 72:18) Now I’m not supposed to be preaching but I’m about to get happy because I found out that faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. Watch this, there is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. No, faith begins where man’s power ends. I know we don’t like to hear this but sometimes God chooses to be silent and that can be very disconcerting, however, it’s all a part of learning to walk by faith. You see, there are times when God may lead you to trust Him for some particular need, but then He will seem to withdraw and say absolutely nothing. God’s promise to Abraham of a son is case in point. He wants us to learn to trust Him even when we have no emotional, visible, or physical evidence that He will do what He has promised. Finally, what I like about this woman is her persistence, you see her faith refused to waiver. (cf. Matthew 15:26-27). What’s interesting to note here is that when the Jews usually referred to the Gentiles as “dogs,” they were speaking of the wild and vicious dogs that roamed the streets. The Jews viewed them as a worthless nuisance. However, the word ‘dogs’ found in verses 26 and 27 referred to little dogs that lived as pets in people’s houses. This woman’s faith toward Jesus is amazing. In essence, she answers the Lord’s statement by saying, “Lord, I know it’s true, I’m nothing more than a little dog and I’m not worthy or deserving of Your help, but I plead for the crumbs of Your mercy nonetheless.” This woman’s faith refused to weaken or waiver, and guess what? She not only received the fulfillment of her petition but she also received the Master’s praise (cf. Matthew 15:28), because those are the characteristics of a faith that God favors. A plea mixed with persistence brings provision that is inevitable Word For Today But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. – Job 23:10 - My inability to find God does not in any way interfere with His perfect knowledge of me. Prophetic Word “I have set before you blessings and curses, I have set before you My perfect way.” “Hear now,” says the Lord, “and let us reason.” “Who shall change My counsel? Who knows the time that I have set?” Pastor, I hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Tell them I am He who is the Author and the Finisher. I am He who shall establish this work.”
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 17:32:44 +0000
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