14 NOV 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

 14 NOV 23 Tuesday: A Closer Walk Devotional

“Jesus responded, ‘It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.’  She replied that’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.” Matthew 15:26-27

I was listening to a clip on Instagram of a preacher that I like and had to replay it a couple of times.  He has been asked often, if God is all-powerful and all-good and all-just, why would God allow tragedies to happen to innocent people?  He said he flips the question because people are not being honest with the question.  He asks the question like this, If God is all-good, all-powerful, and all-just, why didn’t he kill me in my sleep last night for what I thought, said, and did yesterday?

Connecting directly to God forces us to look honestly in the mirror and see ourselves as God sees us.  God is holy, morally perfect, and majestic, and he cannot be in the presence of sin or sinful people because we are not worthy.  That is hard for us to admit and it shows in our daily life in how we think, say, and do.  It is revealed in the questions we ask of God that we think we are good enough.

The woman in Matthew whom Jesus encounters knows she is not worthy, but she humbly seeks God’s mercy.  Jesus tells her that Gentiles are not his focus, but the Father’s children.  It would be wrong to give what belongs to his kids to a dog.  This is a test of the woman’s faith for sure, but it is a great story of hope for everyone.  Jesus will not turn away anyone who comes humbly before him acknowledging and confessing their sin and proclaiming him Lord or Master.

We cannot presume to come to his table in our righteousness, but in his great mercies do we trust.  We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under his table, but he is ready to show mercy if you are ready to surrender your life to him.  

Is God testing your faith?

Reading Plan: Psalm 78:1-39; Neh. 9:26-38; Rev. 18:9-20; Matt. 15:21-28