Tag: Psalm 83:1
“Great faith!”
Scripture reading for April 26th: Matthew 15, Psalm 83, Proverbs 21
Matthew 15:22-28 “And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And He answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”
Jesus encountered a Canaanite woman who has sought Him out for the deliverance of her daughter from demons. She had diligently pursued Jesus and was crying out for mercy and help in this hopeless situation. Jesus at first did not even answer her request. Persistently, she kept on crying out to the disciples and finally the disciples begged Jesus to send her away. Jesus answered them by saying that His mission was to the lost of the Jews. The woman knelt before Jesus and asked again for help. Jesus responded by telling her that the ‘children’s bread’ (healing for her daughter) was not to be thrown to Gentiles (dogs). She persistently asked for crumbs from the master’s table! At this, Jesus proclaimed her faith as “Great faith!” The child was immediately delivered!
Psalm 83:1 “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold Your peace or be still, O God!”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for this example of great faith and persistence to press in to obtain the promises You have made. Forgive me for my ‘little’ faith of not trusting You or doubting Your goodness and mercy towards me or others I am ministering to. Strengthen my faith today and help me to always press in and trust You for the needs I have or prayers that need answers. Do not be silent, O God!
Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Accomplishing the Father’s work
Scripture reading for October 27th: Ezekiel 11-12, Psalm 83, John 4
John 4: 34-39 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”.
Jesus had talked with the Samaritan woman at the well, violating all norms of that day. His disciples had gone into town to purchase food and Jesus stayed by the well to minister to a woman who had had many husbands. He drew her out by asking her for a drink of water and then told her He had living water that would quench her thirst once and for all time. He also revealed to her that He was the Messiah, called Christ. She ran to town and told of this encounter to everyone she met. She and the townspeople streamed out to see Jesus. This is where Jesus shared this word about the white harvest and the Father’s work. Following Jesus is about accomplishing the Father’s work of bringing lost people to Jesus.
Psalm 83:1, 18 “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold Your peace or be still, O God! . . .that they may know that You alone, Whose Name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your amazing work of creation and new creation. Thank You that You see people as Your great ripe harvest and for commissioning Your Church to enter into Your work of sowing the Word of the Gospel and bringing many to Jesus Christ, even from the ends of the earth and from among those who were once far away and enemies. Use me today to sow or reap or raise up workers!
Ezekiel 11:17-19 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, . . .”
Personal Revelation
Scripture reading for October 27th: Ezekiel 10-12, Psalm 83, John 4
Key Scriptures: John 4:39-42 “Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His Word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Preachers share the Gospel message and tell of their personal testimony of how Jesus Christ saved them, bringing them to repentance of their sins and faith that He is the Son of God. Those who hear may believe as a result of the testimony, but this won’t necessarily save them. They must press in to know Jesus for themselves and also have a personal testimony. Hearsay won’t save us. We must know for ourselves that Jesus is indeed the Son of God!
Psalm 83:1 “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold Your peace or be still, O God!”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord, thank You that You did not remain silent, but spoke to the woman at the well and to the Samaritans personally revealing Who You are. Lord, bring personal revelation of Jesus Christ each time I share my testimony of Your saving grace!
Ezekiel 11:19-20 “And I will give them one heart, and a new Spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My rules and obey them. And they shall be My people and I will be their God.”