A Father's Fierce Love

Matthew 15:21-28

The parent/child connection can be extremely powerful.  The feeling that whatever is happening to your child is also happening to you can be overwhelming.  I ache when my children ache, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

In today’s passage, the mother begs Jesus to heal her daughter who is “demon-possessed and suffering terribly” which in turn causes the mother to suffer terribly.  She’s willing to do whatever it takes to help her daughter and also, she feels like her daughter’s possession is a reflection on her as a parent, but that’s a whole other topic for another day.

To be honest, when I read this passage the first time (and also the second and third) I wasn’t quite sure what the take-away was.  It talks about how it’s “not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs” and about how dogs “eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Why would Jesus not answer the cries of this desperate woman??  And was he calling her a dog??  It just didn’t make a lot of sense to me.  Although I’ve grown up with the Bible, I by no means consider myself an expert and require multiple sources for guidance.  One of the main reasons I enjoy writing these weekly devotions is because it makes me dig a little deeper into the Word and into my heart. What is God trying to tell me with this?

The message I'm hearing today is that, as a parent, I love my children more than anything in the world and would do anything for them.  If I feel this way, then how much more does God love me as His child?  Are we going to have tough times, yes!  Are we going to cry out for help, yes!  Are we always going to get the answer we’re looking for, no!  But if we persist in faith, our requests won’t be ignored.  God won’t send us away.

God hears our cries and like the loving Father he is, He will answer (in his way and time) and drive out our “demons.”  Thank you, Father, for loving us fiercely and never giving up on us.

Coming of Age

How many times, as a child, did your parents say, "When you are older...?" These are frustrating words to a youngster who is impatient to be older, to finally turn 10 and enter a new age. The years progressed and soon the urgency to turn 13 surfaced, followed by 21. All seen as magical numbers which somehow have power to change everything. 

Most of us remember these feelings and recognize them in our own children and grandchildren. It is easy for us to smile knowing numbers don't change anything. Our progression from age 10 (child) to 21(adult) is natural, but doesn't change who we are; only who we report to. The child answers to the parent, the adult answers to a professor or a boss.

The amazing thing about aging, is not the destination of a specific season of life, but the journey which got us to this moment in time. The lessons we learned along the way, the people we met and impacted, and the relationships formed over time. 

A most important and impactful relationship is the one we cultivate with Jesus. It is like that with us; there was a time when we were like children held under the elemental powers of this world. (Galatians 4:3 Voice) As the years progressed, we did too. Our faith grew and our love for Jesus grew as a result of His love for us. 

Because you are now part of God's family, He sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts; and the Spirit calls out, "Abba, Father." You no longer need to live as a slave because you are a child of God. And since you are His child, God guarantees an inheritance is waiting for you.

Galatians 4:3-7

Matthew 2: 1-12

                                                      Epiphany Sunday

                                            God in the Flesh                                   

Epiphany comes from two Greek words basically meaning to shine upon, to reveal, or to appear or manifest. At this place in scripture, the Epiphany celebrates God’s revealing or manifesting of Jesus’ identity as true God, Messiah, and Savior of the world.

From The Journey (A bible for seeking God and understanding life)

Reasons to Believe:

Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah wrote that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5: 2) When the Maji and King Herod wanted to know where the new king would be born, the Jewish leaders who knew the passage well were able to tell them. Detailed predictions like these, show that the Bible is unlike any other religious book in the world. Jesus is the only holy founder of a major world religion whose birthplace was prophesied hundreds of years in advance of his birth.

Today “wise” men and women continue to seek the word of God, and strive to live as Jesus lived. The Maji (wise men) who followed the star and found the Christ child, were a great example of ignoring worldly directions to protect the sanctity of the Lord. Herod told them to find the child and report back to him so he too could go and worship the child. Knowing that the intentions of the king were not to worship but to harm the baby, they did not comply with his command.

Each day of our lives we are faced with worldly choices that can result in dishonoring the word of God. We can choose to ignore the negative forces in this world for the honor and glory of His name, or we can weaken and comply. Though we may falter along the way, and it is difficult to remain strong, it is “wise.”

Read/Listen to Matthew 2:1-12