TORMENTED NO MORE!

We cannot begin to imagine the pain and suffering of one who is tormented day and night by demons of darkness.  But this mom in our passage today does!  She will do anything to get help for her daughter.  She isn’t a Jew, but that doesn’t stop her from having faith in the One and Only who she fully believes can save her daughter.  Do we have and hold onto that kind of faith? 

The only goal of these kinds of demons is to destroy precious souls created by God.  This mom knows that what is torturing her daughter is not from God!  We can come close to understanding when we see our own loved one fall into deep holes of darkness that are hard to climb up and out.  We care and are very concerned about those who are in deep depressions, those who struggle with anxieties of all kinds that are life debilitating. We pray for them but sometimes we also judge them with harmful advice such as, “If only you would” …but that does not make it better, only bitter.  This kind of caring sends the tormented deeper still.

Be quiet, go to God and ask Him for His healing.  If God leads them to seek the help of a qualified doctor, then support them by standing by them with love, mercy and grace.  Remind them that are not in this alone.  Most of all, bring their name to the Father daily for healing and restoration.  Don’t give up.  God knows what each person needs.  Rely and trust on Him.  In times of frustration, agony, and helplessness, we must be like the desperate mom who KNEW Jesus could heal her daughter.  This precious mom was not beneath begging Jesus to heal her daughter. 

Finally, it was mom’s great faith in Jesus that healed her daughter.  Imagine going home to her healed daughter who is no longer tormented by the demons of darkness!  Yes, God moves on great faith such as this! 

Matthew—The Law Fulfilled

Matthew 15:21-28, NLT

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

²¹ Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

²³ But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

²⁵ But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

²⁸ “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

PAUSE TO PRAY (Prayer: conversation of talking AND listening to God)

How great is our faith?

What do we bring to God expecting to fully receive an answer?

Do we hold back some issues that we think God shouldn’t be bothered with or cannot handle?

Are we too ashamed to bring some troubles to God?

How great is our faith? 

Do we really believe that what we say we believe to be really real?  (Take time to answer this one.  I am.)

We sing “How Great is our God” but do we really believe it and live it out loud in our behavior?  Do we often think first of how great are our problems? 

Do we wallow and stew before taking all to God?  (And leaving it all with Him?)

Remember…

Jesus went to cross to pay for all sin for all God’s created.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3;16). Jesus came first to God’s chosen, the Jews but Jesus is now for all who believe on Him and trust in His power, love, mercy and grace for each soul. 

ALL.  Paul solidifies this inclusiveness as he writes, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3:28

Abba, Father,

We come to you with extreme gratitude for all you have done to set us free from sin.  You have set many free from the demons who dance around our minds seeking to take control so they can bring destruction to our being that you created.  You fight for our hearts, minds and souls and for that I am so grateful for his love that is unconditional and relentless.  Thank you for saving the woman’s daughter because of her great faith.  This example of great faith in You is good for us to ponder.  Thank you for building our faith through life’s circumstances as we turn all to you in your Name for your glory.

In Jesus Name, Amen