Fresh Daily Ii: Spiritual Nourishment from Daily Encounters with God

By Charles Westbrook

A daily encounter with the living God has a way of refreshing our minds, hearts, and souls. It focuses our mind, lifts our heart, and strengthens our soul. The Lord uses His Word to bring us into the deepest encounters, so each of the daily devotions in this book begin with a Scripture verse or two, which then lead us into an encounter that can shape the day in ways that honor Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490834269

Charles Westbrook

Dr. Westbrook has served in missions and ministry for thirty-eight years, twenty-four of them in Asia with the International Mission Board. He and his wife, Jane, have two children and six grandchildren. He is a graduate of Charleston Southern University (BA), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Columbia International University (DMin). He has also published Fresh Daily: A Year of Daily Dated Devotions (2009), and The Quest for Spiritual Growth: Growing a Life Designed for Strength (2012). He has served as a pastor, missionary, administrator, and leadership trainer, and he currently serves as the pastor of Saluda River Baptist Church in West Columbia, South Carolina.

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January 1

Life Paradox

Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

So, how did it go? How was your New Year’s Eve? Did you spend the time with others waiting to ring in the new year, or did you watch it happen on TV? Or, did you just turn in when you normally do? And now that this is New Year’s Day, January 1st, are you now moving into the frame of mind most of us move into on this day: What will this year bring?

Jesus has a challenge for us as we move into the new year. The verse above and its context point to one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith: Life is discovered by giving it up. If you seek your own life apart from God, you will lose your life. If you give up your own life to the Lord in order to follow after Him and His will rather than your own, you will find life. This is almost like saying that with slavery comes freedom. Who thinks that makes sense? But that’s what a paradox is: a truth that does not make sense logically but is nevertheless true. Paul, for example, considered himself a slave of Christ, but this same man also wrote of the great freedom that we enjoy in Christ. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, is what he wrote to the Galatians.

You are now poised to move into the next year of your life. As you consider directions for this year and what you hope will happen and what your goals will be, remember the Lord’s paradoxical challenge to us: the more you serve the Lord, the more life you find.

Guide us, Lord, into all truth, so that we may more fully understand that which is not so easy to understand, and help us make the application of Your truth day by day this year. Amen.

January 2

Think about It

My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. (James 2:19-20)

Have you ever known someone who hears a statement and reacts without thinking? They may lace their remarks with anger. These are the sort of folks who will also finish your sentences for you.

Somewhere between hearing and speaking a response takes place in the mind, one that leads to speaking. Sometimes folks may hear something they don’t like, react immediately, and then – boom! – an explosion of emotion and a cacophony of words. We generally excuse this by saying, Well, he’s just ‘wired’ that way. Maybe, but we should probably still not excuse it.

James advises us to adopt a grace practice. He uses two modifying words to help us see this. The practice is twofold: 1) quick to hear, and 2) slow to speak. What this does is to give the normal reaction between the two events a time to sift, time to settle, and time to stimulate a thoughtful response in place of a reaction. Reactions generally do not help because most of them go straight to anger, which, says James, does not accomplish God’s righteousness, or, what God wants. Reactive anger is generally all us and not much of God. The grace practice is to think about it before we speak. We must be eager to listen, but we must also be slow to speak, so we can hear from the Holy Spirit in our thought processes.

For those who have a quick mind, this is easier said than done. But, practice makes perfect. Deciding that we are going to be quick to hear and slow to speak is the starting point.

Lord, Help us to practice this grace of being quick to hear and slow to speak, so that we can serve more fully according to Your will. Amen.

January 3

Forever Blessed

So now, You have been pleased to bless Your servant’s house that it may continue before you forever. For You, Lord, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever. (1 Chronicles 17:27)

David’s prayer of gratitude before the Lord reveals a humble heart. He also expresses a significant truth: When God blesses, His blessings are forever. Eternal.

Bless means to speak or act in ways that benefit someone, or that lead to some measure of prosperity for them. When we hear the word blessing, we often think of material blessings, such as money and possessions and wealth. Blessing of the sort David is talking about has more to do with a spiritual prosperity than with material gain, however. Spiritual blessing is the sort that has an eternal character.

God does not bless and then turn around and curse. That never happens. When God blesses, He means it, and He gives us the kind of blessings that abide with us now and endure forever. The physical world and its blessings may come and go, but the spiritual prosperity God gives us will last beyond our ability to measure.

Lord, Show us the true nature of the blessings You give. We thank You for all these ways that You have blessed us. Amen.

January 4

A Force to Be Reckoned With

And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. (James 3:6)

James apparently had some experience with the tongue. He uses several interesting metaphors to describe its power. He described its power as a teacher, on the positive side. He noted that as a bit is a very small device that can be used to control a powerful horse, the tongue can similarly control. He mentioned that the pilot of a ship uses a relatively small rudder to control a huge ship that is driven by powerful winds. He compared the tongue to a small fire that ignites a devastating forest fire. He noted that man has tamed every animal on earth in some way but has not been able to tame the tongue. He reminds us that out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing, which ought not to be.

Make no mistake about it – the tongue, or speech, is a powerful force. Nations have been set on collision courses by it. Napoleon was a powerful orator who whipped the French nation and army into a nationalistic frenzy that stood Europe on its head. Adolph Hitler was an even more powerful orator who used his communication abilities to ignite a world war. This tiny part of the human body has done enormous damage in human history.

But the tongue is only the tool. Like everything, its value is in its use and in who uses it. A bit can control a horse to get someone to a place of ministry. A rudder can control a ship to bring food and needed supplies. A fire can either destroy a forest or cook a meal. It all depends on purpose, intent, use, and control.

To use the tongue in the ways that God intended, we must keep constant vigil on the heart and the mind, which are the hands behind the use of the tongue. These must be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit who alone has the ability to reckon with this powerful force. Discipline of the tongue, empowered by the Holy Spirit is how we can use it for good, to bless rather than curse.

Lord, May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You, and may they be used as a force for good in our world. Amen.

January 5

Safe Haven

Lord, I seek refuge in You; let me never be disgraced. Save me by Your righteousness. (Psalm 31:1) But I trust in You, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ The course of my life is in Your power; deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors. (Psalm 31:14-15)

A refuge is a go-to place. It’s the place you go to when danger is lurking. It is a safe haven, a safe harbor protected against the storms, a place where harm cannot get to you. It is a fortress and a stronghold against attack.

David knew about refuges. He spent years out in the wilderness running for his life from a madman king who wanted to destroy him. He found some great places of refuge where he and his followers could be safe from harm. But along the way he discovered something of immense importance to him: there is no comparison between an earthly refuge and the refuge that comes from knowing the Lord. He was able to sing with experience, Lord, I seek refuge in You, and also, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. He understood experientially that God offers the best of all refuges.

That is why David could also say, But I trust in You Lord. The refuge that God gave him generated trust, and in trust he could always go to the God who was his refuge. That is also why David could say, May the Lord be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His faith love to me in a city under siege. (Psalm 31:21)

The Lord is our Safe Haven against all harm. He is our source of strength and our victory.

Lord, To You be all glory, honor, and power forever. For You are Lord, the Creator of all things. Amen.

January 6

Sin Pain

Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him. (Psalm 32:10)

Sin is painful. It is painful because it destroys people’s lives. Many try to explain away that fact or otherwise pretend it is irrelevant. In fact, some elements of our western societies, particularly entertainment and media, for example, engage in imaging to present and promote what, according to the teachings of the Bible, is sin to be the preferred social standard, perfectly acceptable. They label it freedom or freedom of expression or my right. When the cameras and glitz are gone, however, and people are alone with their thoughts and are honest with themselves in their own hearts, an awful truth rises up to strike: sin hurts. It destroys.

That is the downside, though. There is good news through Jesus Christ. Those who acknowledge their sin, confess it to the Lord, turn away from it, and trust in the Lord will find themselves surrounded by God’s faithful love and forgiveness. They will bask in the glorious love of God through their faith in Jesus.

Sin is painful, and that is an absolute truth. But forgiveness is available. And that, too, is an absolute truth.

Thank You, Lord, for Your amazing grace. Amen.

January 7

A Habitual Practice

You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. (James 5:8)

Patience is something we should avoid praying for but definitely practice. That which creates patience is difficulty, like suffering, and if you ask God to give you patience, He may well answer and give you some circumstances that will build patience in you. Think Job, here.

The concept of patience James has in mind is not the kind where we sit idly by, waiting for something good to happen, though. Rather, this patience means we proactively pursue the fulfillment of our calling, which is a call to endurance, to continue bearing whatever load may be necessary as we move forward.

The way we do this is to strengthen our hearts. Strengthening comes from habitual exercise. The heart, as the Bible deals with term, refers primarily to the will. We are, thus, to habitually exercise our resolve to follow the Lord faithfully as we anticipate His return, enduring any and all experiences that come our way, regardless of the nature of those experiences. In doing so, we will see the compassion and mercy of God at work both in our own lives and in the lives of those with whom we have fellowship. We will also see it at work as He brings more and more people into His kingdom through us. This habitual practice is what builds patience.

Lord, We commit to strengthening our hearts so we may serve You faithfully. Amen.

January 8

Learning about Fear

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He rescues them. Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm 34:7, 11)

Just as there are different kinds of love, there are different kinds of fear. Some fear becomes destructive, causing us to hesitate when we should not. The Bible repeatedly says, Fear not. So, fear that leads us to hesitate in following what God has commanded must be overcome, and that happens in the decisions of faith and courage and commitment.

The same Bible, however, teaches us positively to fear the Lord. This kind of fear is not at all destructive. On the contrary, this fear teaches respect for God, and that builds us up. The Bible tells us it is good and positive, and that there are great benefits from it. For example, the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear God in this way, who revere God.

David helps us to understand what this fear of the Lord is. He gives some further explanation in Psalm 34, and basically, we see at least three aspects involved in the fear of the Lord. These are admonitions. First, we are to watch our words. The idea is that we need to control our tongues and avoid speaking evil. Second, we are to choose the good over the evil. This is a decision of faith that honors God. We are taking our stand with Him. Third, we are to pursue peace. We seek it, we pursue it, and we live it.

Lord, We bow before You today in worship and praise. You are awesome! Amen.

January 9

A Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3a)

What a great way to describe what we have in Christ – a living hope! We have hope that is alive, vibrant, and working.

This living hope we have is founded on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. If Jesus died and was not resurrected, then our faith is dead and so is our hope. The resurrection is an absolute essential to this living hope. Our hope is alive because Jesus is alive.

The nature of our living hope is an imperishable inheritance. We have hope not because of anything we have done but because of the active grace of God in which He has now claimed us as His children. Since this life we have is eternal, the inheritance that comes with it is eternal and, therefore, imperishable.

We also have a guarantee for this living hope. It is found in the protection we enjoy by the power of the Almighty God. This does not mean that we are protected from all kinds of physical threat. It simply means that there is no power anywhere that can destroy our personal relationship with the Lord, nothing that can take us away from Him. Our relationship is eternally protected.

This living hope further has a refinement aspect to it. Sooner or later, as a result of our faith in Christ, we will undergo various trials and difficulties, but we should understand that these are part of the process God uses to refine our faith, much in the way that gold is purified by fire.

Then, there is the joy of a living hope we enjoy. Our faith leads to our eternal salvation, and that salvation produces an indescribable joy, a joy that can endure anything. It comes not from us. It is not something we can manufacture from within. Rather, it comes from the presence of God’s Spirit within us. It is His joy we experience.

Thank You, Lord, for this living hope You have given us. Amen.

January 10

Ready for Action

Therefore, get your minds ready for action. (1 Peter 1:13)

A strong message from Peter to believers is to get ready and be ready, because of the living hope that is in us. Ready for what? Well, ready for action. But what action? Essentially, the action of following Jesus faithfully throughout life. And to help us know how to do this, he offers us several basic encouragements.

First, he says we need to be self-disciplined. There is a sense in which all discipline is self-discipline. We must decide that we are going to learn and apply what we learn in the ways that we live out our lives.

Second, he encourages us to set our hope totally on the grace of God, which will be revealed fully at the return of Christ. That means that we do not put our hope in anything else or anyone else. We may have some other hopes, but in terms of living as a Christian, we focus our hope only on Jesus.

Third, we are to be holy and to act holy. We cannot act holy until we are, and we are when Jesus says we are. He says we are when we believe in Him, because His blood covers over all our sins. As believers, we are called into holiness, and we, therefore, have an accountability to conduct ourselves in reverence before God.

Fourth, we are to love one another. We apply truth to our lives and follow the Lord in obedience, and because we do God’s love in us expresses itself in terms of a sincere love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The new birth we have received from the Holy Spirit enables us to do this.

Lord, Help us today to be ready for anything that comes our way, by being self-disciplined, setting our hope in You alone, being and acting holy, and by loving one another as You have loved us. Amen.

January 11

Delight

You do not delight in sacrifice and offerings. (Psalm 40:6a)

So, what DOES God delight in? Psalm 40:6-8 answers: He is delighted, for example, when we listen. In fact, He will open our ears so CAN listen if we will allow Him to do so, and when we actually do listen to what He wants to say to us, He is delighted. It’s no different from when one of us attempts to speak to one of our children and finds delight when he or she listens and even acknowledges receipt of the message!

God is delighted further when we do His will. Not only when we do His will, but when it delights US to do His will, He is delighted. When doing His will is a great joy in our lives, it is like a pleasing aroma to Him.

When we respond positively to His instruction, God is delighted. David said it this way, Your instruction resides within me. When His instruction resides in us, He is delighted. His instruction resides in us when we internalize it, when we meditate on it, when we learn it, and when we practice it. That’s when it takes up residence.

What in your life will delight God today?

Lord, May every aspect of our lives serve to delight You. Amen.

January 12

A Little Transparency

For it is god’s will that you, by doing good, silence the ignorance of foolish people. (1 Peter 2:15B)

Peter has something to say about who we are and what we do as Christians. First, he says that we are aliens and temporary residents on this earth (1 Peter 2:11). That means our citizenship is not here, and we are only here temporarily. That suggests that we have a stewardship of opportunity before us, and that we must take advantage of it for the glory of God.

On this basis Peter went then to the matter of what we are to do as temporary residents and aliens. He offers us several directions we are to follow. First, we are to conduct ourselves honorably in this world. We live in a world that is sometimes not entirely positive toward those who are committed Christians. In some places in our world, Christians are in fact persecuted and even killed simply because they are Christians. Some governments have even labeled Christians as perverted and evil. Peter says that our response, whatever our situation may be, is to conduct ourselves honorably, and to do so with a measure of transparency so that the world can observe the good that we do as believers and glorify God ultimately.

Second, we are to submit ourselves to human institutions. Mainly, Peter has in mind government institutions, since he particularly references the Emperor and governors. There may be times when we cannot in good conscience do this, as Peter himself demonstrated when he and John were arrested by the Sanhedrin, but as a general principle Christians are to submit themselves to the authority of God-ordained human institutions. Again, with a measure of transparency we are to do good works that are observable so that those who simply are unaware of who Christians really are and what we stand for can see the good we do and, thereby, be silenced.

Third, we are to live as free men and women, and yet, we are not to use our freedom as some sort of license or to conceal evil, since that would undermine all of the above.

Peter provides a summary for us in four quick thoughts: 1) Honor everyone, 2) Love the brotherhood, 3) Fear God, and 4) Honor the Emperor. And as we do so, transparency will help others to know more about who we are and what we stand for as believers in Jesus Christ.

Lord, Help us to demonstrate today the work of Your Spirit in our hearts. Amen.

January 13

The Eyes of the Lord

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His. (2 Chronicles 17:9a)

Shortly after Asa became king of Judah, a one-million man army showed up on his doorsteps. He was able to muster an army of 580,000, which meant he was out-numbered 2 to 1. Asa genuinely cried out to God for help, and the Lord responded by routing the Cushite army. Judah enjoyed a great victory. What followed then was a great revival as Asa led the people to remove their idols and seek only the Lord.

Fast-forward about 35 years later, following great prosperity in Judah. King Basha of Israel went to war against Asa. He began to fortify the city of Ramah to choke off all trade from the north. Asa collected the gold and silver from the treasuries of the Temple and sent them to the king of Aram to get him to attack Israel so the Israelites would release their choke-hold. The strategy worked. The Israelites ceased building their fortifications of Ramah and withdrew to fight Aram. Asa then sent his men to Ramah, who then dismantled the fortifications and used the materials to fortify several of the cities in Judah.

God sent the seer Hanani to Asa with a message. The message went generally like this, The Cushites and Libyans brought a vast army against you, and you depended on the Lord to rescue you. Now, you have foolishly depended on the king of Aram for your rescue. From here on, war will be your lot. The message angered Asa, and he put Hanani in prison. Asa developed a disease in his feet but even then would not seek the Lord.

Why is it that, when we have no resources we tend to depend on the Lord, but when He then blesses us with resources, we tend to depend on them rather than on Him? The Lord seeks those who want to tie their lives and their futures to Him in personal faith. That is why the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth, to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are completely His.

Lord, May our hearts be completely Yours, whether the resources You give us are abundant or not. May our hearts be fully in tune with Your heart. Amen.

January 14

Patches and Wineskins

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new patch pulls away from the old cloth, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins. (Mark 2:21-22)

A common view of this text is that Jesus was slamming the tradition of fasting. Fasting was, in fact, the context for these statements, but Jesus was not rejecting the practice of fasting. He even said that the time for fasting would come after His departure, but that since He was present, there was not a cause for fasting. What Jesus was doing was to point to the need for appropriateness in terms of tradition. We don’t observe tradition for tradition’s sake, but we observe it when it is appropriate to do so. We cannot be slaves to tradition, in other words.

We see this in the two metaphors that Jesus used. If you sew a new piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment, the patch will create a greater tear when it shrinks. If you put new wine into old wineskins, you will end up losing both. You have to put new wine into new wineskins.

This goes to a discussion of the importance and relevance of form in relation to content. Which is more important: the form, or the content? The answer is: both. One is dependent on the other. But if you become a slave to form, you can never have anything new; you cannot grow. If you become a slave to content, again, you will never have anything new that is also lasting. Both are required for real growth. It is important to remember is that while the forms may need to change at times, the content does not. It is still wine that you put into the wineskins. The content is what we are looking for, but the form for holding the content, while still of the same basic material, needs to be renewed from time to time.

Lord, May the traditions we observe always serve to glorify You and never get in the way of what You want to accomplish. Amen.

January 15

Praise Power

May the Lord be praised! Day after day He bears our burdens; God is our salvation. God, You are awe-inspiring in Your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. May God be praised. (Psalm 68:19, 35)

Praise is a uniquely human expression of admiration, adoration, and adulation toward one for whom there is appreciation and affection. People are created with the capacity for praise. The fact of this capability actually argues for the existence of God and the truth of creation.

Christians are people who choose to give the full praise of their hearts to God and God alone. We praise Him because of who He is and what He is like. He is a God of grace and compassion. He is also a God who instructs and disciplines us as expressions of His love. He is the all-powerful Creator of the universe. He is, therefore, worthy of our praise.

We also praise God because of what He does. We know Him as the God who has saved us from the penalty of our sins. He has rescued us from the eternity of hell by His gracious act on the cross and by the power of His resurrection, so that we might have eternity with Him and with all His people and all of creation in heaven. He has set us free from the domination of sin now so that we can live a life of joy and peace on this earth

When we praise our Lord, this action has an unparalleled way of unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit in us. It is not our power but God’s power, which is why we find it so energizing. It gives us a zest for life and helps us look beyond the temporal.

Lord, We praise You for who You are, because of who we are. Amen.

January 16

Amazed

And He was amazed at their unbelief. (Mark 6:6)

Jesus and His disciples meandered dusty roads through the Galilean hills from Capernaum to Nazareth. They climbed the rocky path through fragrant rosemary, passed by ancient olive trees, then up the hill to the village on top. He was home. Or was He?

Jesus saw old friends, some He had grown up with and had made annual trips to Jerusalem with as a boy. His mother was there, and His brothers and sisters. The town elders were there, and undoubtedly there were greetings all around. They had been hearing interesting stories about Him, though nothing much had changed for them in Nazareth. The Sabbath came, and He and His disciples went to the synagogue where He opened the Scriptures and taught. The men were amazed at His wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, but just as much, they were equally offended. Who did He think He was? Wasn’t this the carpenter’s son? We know His mother and brothers and sisters. Who does He think He is?

Luke says that they were even angry enough to kill Him when they heard Him on one Sabbath announce that the Scripture was fulfilled in Him, and when He mentioned the Gentiles in the synagogue they seized Him and intended to throw Him off a cliff. He escaped their grasp.

Jesus left Nazareth for the last time, bewildered by their unbelief. The word Mark uses is amazed, literally meaning, He stood outside Himself.

Not much amazed Jesus. The only two things that amazed Him was the faith of a Roman centurion and the lack of faith of His hometown people in Nazareth. How sad that they had such opportunity but, because of the hold their culture and traditions had on them, could not find their way to faith and could not see the reality that was before them. How sad that even today, we see the same thing.

Lord, We thank You for opening our eyes so we could see and respond in faith. We pray for those who have not yet seen Your light, that they, too, may open their eyes and enter the kingdom with us. Amen.

January 17

Day of Trouble

In my day of trouble I sought the Lord. … I will reflect on all You have done and meditate on Your actions. (Psalm 77:2a, 12)

A once clear sky can turn to rolling thunder and dark clouds, sometimes suddenly, and sometimes gradually, almost imperceptibly. The same is true for a day of trouble. Everybody sees one sooner or later. Some of these days seemingly spring upon us like a camouflaged jaguar, and some we can see coming like a tidal wave. Either way, they do come.

In a day of trouble, we might consider all sorts of options or remedies or solutions, but one action we clearly need to take is to seek the Lord. He is not far away. In fact, He isn’t away at all. His Spirit dwells within us, and none of the trouble catches Him by surprise. Thus the most common sense action on our part is to seek Him.

Seeking the Lord calls for two related actions. First, reflect on who God is. He is the God who is holy. He is the God who works powerful wonders. He is the God who is sovereign and who understands our frail frame. Second, reflect on all He has done and meditate on His actions.

The reality is that the God who loves us has acted in our lives in ways that have brought great blessing and encouragement to us, and faith tells us that He will do so again. We believe this because we know He loves us and that He has a purpose for us. When we look back toward the works of God in our lives and remember what He has done, those meditations lead us then to a response of faith and trust and faithfulness.

Lord, In our day of trouble, help us to remember first who You are and then help us to remember all You have done to lead us to this place in our lives. Help us to respond to the day of trouble as also a day of opportunity to walk in faith. Amen.

January 18

Training Tour

He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. (Mark 7:24)

After taking on the scribes and Pharisees about their traditions, Jesus led His disciples on a training tour. They set out from the Plain of Gennesaret and traveled some distance northwest to the cities of Tyre and Sidon. This began the great Northern Training Tour, a time when Jesus wanted to concentrate on teaching His disciples. This story of a Gentile mother’s faith comes into view, however; a great one.

We first see a surprising scenario – a trip to the beach! Tyre and Sidon were seacoast cities. There was much material wealth there, but also much spiritual bankruptcy. It is also surprising to note the manner in which Jesus and His disciples went there. Jesus was rather stealthy in His approach. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it. (verse 24) Also surprisingly, one of the first folks to find Him and seek out His help was a Gentile woman, and the biggest surprise of all in this scenario was her faith.

Our surprise is followed by a determined desperation. This woman’s daughter was sick, but not with a physical illness. She was demon-possessed. We typically shy away from such concepts today, but Jesus did not. The unnamed woman was desperate to get help for her daughter, and she apparently had heard that Jesus had the ability to help. She went to Him in desperation, but what is remarkable is her determination. She wasn’t leaving until her daughter was healed.

Then we see a compassionate challenge. Many read the words of Jesus and conclude that He was being rather brutal toward this woman. He said, Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. (verse 27) Some think Jesus was calling the woman a dog. Actually, it was just an example. People want to be sure their children get food before giving it to their pet. I believe Jesus said this for the benefit of the disciples, so they would then hear her response. Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. Jesus indeed challenged her, but He did so with compassion, knowing what He