Matthew 15:27

New International Version

“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 

Meditation

“Three years of marriage to a man I have seen and been with for only three months,” she wrote.

The sounds of disappointment and discouragement echoed through her words as she danced through her story from the other end of the line. The clock registered three forty-five in the morning, too early for such a burdensome call, but I could not put the phone away. We chatted for an hour, as I encouraged her to trust God and persevere until He brings them together. Her story seems an impossible task, but is it?

The caller’s story is not unique to a pastor. God has preserved disappointing stories of countless saints through the holy scriptures for our example. These saints stood against everything, yet with nothing to hold on to but their faith. They pushed through the corridors of difficulty and opposition, rejection, and failure, until victory crowned their resolve.

I can recall our homegrown story of the woman I have shared my life with for forty-five years. She married a church boy, and over ten years, she faced a heavy bag of troubles and suffering for her stubborn resistance to counsel from her Scripture Union (SU) friends. Trapped in a flawed relationship (2 Cor. 6:14-16), yet respecting God’s unfavorable view on divorce (Mal. 2:16, Matt. 5:31-32), she prayed her heart out, seeking divine intervention in my life. My salvation was her number one priority, for she knew that only a changed heart in Christ could make us equally yoked in Him and favorable to God. God graciously answered her prayers and saved me from the throes of sin and death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; Col. 1:13-14) and settled me in the pastoral ministry, far beyond her imagination.

Such desperate stories of faith and perseverance align with the stories of the Canaanite woman and Jesus (Matt. 15:21-28), Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1:10), and many others. They are stories of persistence in prayer for one’s desires, and have always been stories of asking, seeking, and knocking on the door of grace, with unflinching faith as anchor (Matt. 7:7).

The Canaanite woman battled against racial and gender prejudice to seek deliverance for her demon-possessed daughter (Matt. 15:22-28). She fought through the Lord’s silence and His seeming offensive remark (26) to get healing for her daughter. Zacchaeus scaled the mountain of hatred, his diminutive size among the crowd not helping, and the shame perching in a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus and gained salvation for his tormented soul (Lk. 19:1-10). For these two and many like them, faith, determination, and perseverance brought them victory. 

So, what is your story? What storms have hit your life now? Are you battle-weary and almost giving up? Remember, God’s glory as the goal of your endurance and shame (1 Cor. 10:31; Heb. 12:2). Can you hang on for just a little while for God’s glory to dawn on you (Mal. 4:2)? Trust in His plan, for it is perfect and will lead you to victory.

I pray you joyfully persevere through your trials, knowing that God is perfecting your faith, and in the end, you will come out as pure gold (James 1:2-4; cf. Job 42:10).

Pray with Me

Father, grant that we receive wisdom to guide us through the trials of life, and grace to carry us till victory embraces us before your gracious throne, in Christ, amen.

Shalom