Bible Questions Answered: Faith Tested

Bible Questions Answered:
Will God try our faith?
Anita/ Pune, India

Bible Answer:

Yes!

Text:
Matthew 15:21-28 KJV (Mark 7:24-30)
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Upon reading this gospel account, we see that a “Syro-phoenician*” woman approached Jesus asking repeatedly for His help in the healing of her possessed child.

Syro-phoenician: A mixed race, half Phoenician and half Syrian (and thus a Gentile).
(Smith's Bible Dictionary)

Christ's response, absolute rejection, “ But He answered her not a word.”
Was this the loving, caring Jesus who had healed so many? Yes!

Friends, write this down in the front of your Bible and never let it be lost.

WHAT EVER GOD DOES IS RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY!

Oh, there will be times when you will not understand this statement, nor perhaps believe it, no matter for, these words are eternally true!

Genesis 18:25 KJV
"...Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

With no help needed from us, the answer is yes, the Just Judge of all earth, shall do right!

Romans 11:33-36 NLT
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!
34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give Him advice?
35 And who has given Him so much that He needs to pay it back?
36 For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.
Isaiah 55:8,9 KJV
8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Our Lord, in not answering the woman, had an agenda, and that was the “trying of her faith.”
(See John 6:5, Jesus questioning Philip.)

If the Lord were to try your faith, would your faith, stand or fold?

James 1:5-8 KJV
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Hebrews 10:35,36 KJV
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

James 1:3 KJV
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

The Lord Jesus, being God, knew that the woman was determined to see her daughter made whole.

Matthew 15:
23 ...And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Yes, she was not a Jew, she was a Gentile, and her persistence, led her to a place of humility and patience!

25 Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Referred to as a dog, i.e. her nationality, yet she persisted.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
(Translation: Knowing this, can't I, too have some of your blessings?)

Christ responded...
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Faith, tested! Does God, have the right to test our faith? Yes!

WHAT EVER GOD DOES IS RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY!

He tests us, to cause our faith to persevere!
May we always be found reading His word, that our faith may become strong.

Read Hebrews chapter eleven, of great people of faith who have persevered.

Psalm 37:5 KJV
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 118:8,9 KJV
8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Psalm 125:1 KJV
They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Isaiah 12:2 KJV
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.

Isaiah 26:3,4 KJV
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

Matthew 7:7-11 KJV
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?

I Peter 1:3-9 KJV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.