This week, let’s look at a woman in the Bible who also encountered God’s “no” and, in the process, discovered a greater purpose. In the Gospels, we read about the woman in Mark 7:24-30 (also in Matthew 15:21-28). She was a Gentile mother who came to Jesus, desperately seeking healing for her daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit.
When she first approached Jesus, He did not answer her. Then, He even told her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs,” implying that His mission was primarily to the Jews at that moment. But rather than giving up, she responded with faith, saying, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
This exchange might have felt like a "no" to her, but her persistence and faith ultimately moved Jesus to respond with compassion. Her daughter was healed, and her story became an example of faith and perseverance.
Through this “no” and her continued faith, she not only received the miracle she sought but also showed the disciples and others that God’s love and power reach beyond boundaries. God’s initial silence and apparent refusal invited her to press in with even greater faith, and it reminds us that sometimes, God’s delays or “no” are not denials but invitations to a deeper faith.
This story reminds us that, just like David and Paul, sometimes our prayers are met with silence or resistance, but God is drawing us closer, calling us to hold fast and believe.
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