“But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.'” Matthew 15:25
January 23, 2024
You are sitting at the gate anticipating the departure of your flight. Then you look at the flight arrival and departure screen. You see the word “delayed” by your flight number. A Canaanite woman was desperate for Jesus to heal her demon oppressed daughter. His disciples said to send her away. But she was persistent, “Lord, help me.” The purposes of Jesus at that time seemed to necessitate a delay in answering her appeal. We seek God for help. We are desperate. We pray. The Lord’s response is not immediate. The Canaanite woman is a lesson in persistence in prayer. Don’t quit. Do we really see Jesus for who He is? As one writer has put it, “When God doesn’t answer your prayers about a specific need, it’s likely he’s trying to deepen your faith” (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary). Delays in answer to our prayers are not necessarily denials. The Lord delights in our increased dependence on Him. “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb. 4:15). What better thing could be said by Jesus than, “great is your faith.”
H
“Set no time to the Lord the creator of time, for His time is always best.” Samuel Rutherford