Get rid of offense
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Matthew 15:26
Today we are reading about the woman that came to Jesus to receive healing for her demon possessed daughter. She was from Canaan which probably meant that she was half Jewish and half some other nationality. It meant that she was shunned by the Israeli people. When she came to Jesus, the disciples wanted to tell her to go away. I’m sure they were surprised when Jesus actually talked to her. During His conversation with her, Jesus said, what looks like an insult to her. She had the opportunity to be offended and not receive anything from Him. Instead, she pressed in and humbled herself and that is when Jesus noticed her faith. He told her she had great faith and that He had given her what she desired, the demons were cast out of her daughter.
We have many occasions today to be offended at the things going on around us. We can be offended by the ungodly activity in our government. We can be offended by the pandemic restrictions. We can even be insulted by new laws that go against God’s law and His truth. However, taking the opportunity to be offended is not what brings answered prayer, it is faith. Despite the world view of today, we still need to be in faith. If you feel yourself becoming angry and irritated with your surroundings, you are on the road to offense. If you do not surrender those feelings, your faith is not active in that area.
I experienced this on a personal level when I started a new job. I had the opportunity to become irritated and annoyed by the way I was treated because of a seniority and entitlement mentality. Instead, I remained full of faith to do my job as I was expected to without murmuring and complaining and I kept a thankful heart. Thankful for a job, thankful for work and thankful for my Father’s love. Being faithful and thankful opened the doors to a position that never existed before so that I was able to walk out my job each day without having the complaints that the people I worked with did.
Today I want to encourage you not to become offended. Don’t let the outward circumstances of the world around you determine your words, thoughts and ideas. Stay in faith and believe that God has a plan above your circumstances and surrender all your hurts and distresses over to Him and He will carry them far from you. Remain consistently in faith in the little things and the big, and soon the doors will open around you to a whole life that is beyond the one you are living right now. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to complete your purpose by surrendering all your feelings and emotions to Him.
Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 15:21-28
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word. His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
The Daily Dose 