TGN: Faith

TGN would like to celebrate KERRIE ROBERTS, who had a birthday February 5th!

Please join me in praying over him today:

Daily Prayer: I will sing to the LORD, for You have been so good to Kerrie. In seen and unseen ways; Your desire is to be good to him. I pray that Kerrie trust in Your unfailing love and that his heart continues to rejoice in Your salvation day after day. Hallelujah. Thank You LORD, for Kerrie's life, his smile, his warm personality, his heart, his talent and abilities. Thank You for everything You have created Kerrie to be. Thank You for the good thoughts, plans and purposes You have already set for him. I pray that he adheres to all that You have commanded of him to do. Bless Kerrie with the heart of David, the heart that desires to serve, please and praise You. And like King David asked, show Kerrie Your ways, O LORD, teach him your paths; guide him in Your truth and correct him, for you are God his Savior. I pray that his hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, Your great mercy and love, for they are from old. According to Your love remember Kerrie, for You are good, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore instruct Kerrie in Your ways. As Kerrie humbles himself before you each day, guide him in what is right and teach him Your way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive all of Kerrie's iniquities. Turn to him and be gracious to him. I pray that Kerrie's eyes are ever on the LORD Almighty. If there is any trouble, affliction or anguish in his heart LORD, free him of it. Show him how to release anything that is unpleasing to You, so that Your full glory can show forth in his life LORD. Guard his life and rescue him; let him take total refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness protect him, and let his hope always be in You. For You are so good, and gracious, and love, and amazing. Thank You Jesus for Kerrie's loving heart. May he become more and more like Jesus as he calls on and trust in You. Thank You for his life LORD. In Jesus' Name, amen. (Psalm 13, 25)

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*If TGN isn't delivered to you early enough; You will always be able to find the fresh daily Word at www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com - save it in your favorites!

www.biblegateway.com
Mark 7:24-30 (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.

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Ok, some of you might be asking "Did Jesus really just call this woman a dog?" LOL. The NLT translation is more clearer than others, but let's read these verses as it's presented in The Message Bible before we get to why it is relevant to us today:

24-26 From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn't think he would be found, but he couldn't escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.
27 He said, "Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there's any left over, the dogs get it."
28 She said, "Of course, Master. But don't dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?"
29-30 Jesus was impressed. "You're right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone." She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.

"Dog" refers to little dogs or house pets (our cuties that we dress up in outfits and tote around in our LV bags LOL), not outdoor nor vicious scavengers. I know for sure Jesus' intention was not to offend this woman and this is exactly why the woman wasn't offended but was ready to press in for the healing of her daughter. Jesus was saying that His priority was to provide food for the children (teach his disciples; whom He was looking to be alone with), not to allow interruption to the family meal.

The woman did not try to argue with Him. Using Jesus' choice of imagery, she pointed out that she was willing to be considered an interruption (a dog even) as long as she could receive God's healing for her daughter. Ironically, many Jews would lose God's spiritual healing because they rejected who Jesus was, while many Gentiles, whom the Jews thought to be beneath them, would find salvation because they recognized the Truth in God's Son.

So how does this apply to you and I today? Be encouraged by this woman's faith. Jesus is moved by faith. Are you lacking in faith right now? Is it hard for you to believe? Don't give up. Keep reading the Word. With the trust that you do have, pray to God, talk to Him; be REAL with Him, just like this woman was with Jesus. Jesus was not bothered by this woman and He will not be bothered by You. He actually desires more of YOU!!!!! He will increase your faith as you move in pursuit of it being increased. Then you'll be able to come boldly to the throne to receive all that God has promised to you, through Jesus Christ. FAITH! FAITH! FAITH! George Michael was right with this line in that song, "You gotta have faith!"

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Daily Prayer: The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving my soul continually. The statues (laws) of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The percepts (rules of conduct) of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. May my life declare Your magnificent glory in every area, in every way. May my faith increase LORD, so that I can give more. May I use everything You have blessed me with for Your good; in your honor. May I move where You tell me to move and take action where You instruct me to do so. I love You LORD and I thank You today! If I haven't shown my gratitude to You in a while, I desire to bring it back to just thanking You, Jesus- to be acknowledge day after day. Because if you never did another thing for me, You have done more than enough by blessing me with salvation, freedom and eternity- among so much more. That deserves not only thanks but my life! Thank You LORD! In Jesus' Name, amen. (Psalm 19; Exodus 38)

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*IN THE SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SHOWED CONCERNED, CHECKED IN ON ME AND LIFTED ME UP IN PRAYER LAST WEEK. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU, AS YOU WERE A TREMENDOUS BLESSING TO MY SPIRIT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THOSE OF YOU WHO ENCOURAGE ME CONTINUALLY TO KEEP SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS. I'M SO THANKFUL THAT THE WORD CONTINUES TO BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE DAILY. LOVE YOU ALL!*

Resources: biblegateway.com, NIV Women's Devotional Bible- Classic Edition, Life Application Study Bible.


Peace comes when our minds stay on Him.