fear supposes God won’t get it right. Fear allows us to believe the enemy is more powerful than our God. And nothing could be further from the truth. For the power that is in us – Christ – is more powerful than any powers around us.
Peace and joy are not dependent on my circumstances but on the promises of God.
What God values is the attitude within our hearts and minds. To love God above all things – our self included – is the kind of worship He desires.
Whosoever rises up against us faces poor odds because we’ve already won through Christ’s work on the cross. Whatever stands in our way will have to cede because you and I are more than conquerors.
When we fully realize how much mercy God has extended towards us – mercy that we never deserved yet He freely gave – how can we not extend mercy to others? Forgiveness is not natural – it is only within the scope of God’s forgiveness and mercy that we are able to forgive at all and extend mercy towards others.
That element of doubt trips us up time and again – If you can. Even though we know in our minds that He can, that He is more powerful than any problem we face, that little nagging voice continues to whisper in our ear, “Ah, but will He?”
What struck me as I read this passage again is the word “satisfied.” They ate and were satisfied. No one went home hungry, no one was sent away with bellies half-full, and everyone had enough to eat to feel satisfied.
God’s Kingdom is about service, and service is about personal sacrifice. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45.
The thing that stands out to me in this text is the woman’s incredible faith. She pursued Jesus, knowing she was one of the ‘least’ yet fully expecting Him to heal her daughter.
When it comes to sin, there is no room for compromise. Beliefs or habits that might appear innocuous but are clearly against God’s word can quickly become distractions or temptations that influence our walk with Christ.
