Verse of the Day 6/14

Through the Bible - Jeremiah 24-26, Matthew 25:1-30

 

Good morning,

Many of you may be familiar with Dave Ramsey the Christian financial adviser.  If you listened to his radio program you've probably heard him, when asked "how are you doing", respond with, "better than I deserve.  The first time you hear it you stop and think, did I just hear that?  The thought is so counter cultural to much of today's entitlement society.  More often, especially in difficult times you'll hear people who feel the opposite, with the attitude "I deserve better".

 

For today's verse we'll go to Mark 7 where a Gentile woman approaches Jesus on behalf of her daughter for healing.  She comes seeking His mercy not based on her rights, admitting that she truly doesn't have any, she comes based on His reputation and willingness to heal.

 

Mark 7:28-30 (NLT) She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."

²⁹ "Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." ³⁰ And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

 

In his book, "King's Cross", Tim Keller writes, "In Western culture we don't have anything like this kind of assertiveness.  We only have assertion of our rights.  We do not  know how to contend unless we're standing for our rights, standing on our dignity, and our goodness saying, "this is what I'm owed".  But this woman is not doing that at all.  This is rightless assertiveness, something we know little about.  She's not saying "Lord, give me what I deserve on the basis of my goodness."  She's saying, "Give me what I don't deserve based on your goodness ..."

 

When you've come to God with some big requests, from what stance were you coming  from.  Looking back, I have to admit that many times it was based on what I felt I "deserved".  I need to approach Him in His power and authority and based on his goodness, His love, not based on anything I've done.

 

When asked that same question that it posed to Dave Ramsey, how are you doing?, would you be able to respond "better than I deserve".  If you feel that way, try it.  See what kind of response you get.

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at mikesvotd.blogspot.com

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

 ²⁴ Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret. ²⁵ Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, ²⁶ and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

   Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, ²⁷ Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."

 ²⁸ She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."

 ²⁹ "Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." ³⁰ And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone