Let Faith Lead Your Footsteps in 2016

I had a schedule, a plan; take care of my children, do devotions, lead Bible Study, and just quietly live life like a “good” Christian.

What I hadn’t expected was the storm of interruptions, the journey God had me on, filled with more curved than straight lines, more difficult than easy living.

Maybe your like me, you grew up dutiful going to church. You live life just trying to do the right things, never making waves or swaying from your perfect agenda.

But what if I told you God doesn’t care if your life is messy? What if I told you He might want to interrupt your plans of carefully calculated religious practice and methodical Christianity?

There was a woman who interrupted Jesus, urgently bellowing her request, “My daughter is miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon!” (Matt 15:22)

Jesus was a Jew. Some commentators think He was on a mission, others say He was resting after ministry, not needing the distractions of some unknown lady who wildly proclaimed her daughter was crazy.

To her cries, Jesus was simply silent. (Matt 15:23)

Have you ever felt that way too? You called out to Jesus and seemingly He was silent? 

The disciple’s followed her inconvenient pleadings with, “Send her away”.

But Jesus finally answered her persistence cries with, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.

And I “get” it. This lady wasn’t in His schedule. She didn’t make an appointment. In fact, she wasn’t even part of the people group Jesus himself claimed He was sent to.

While most of us would shrink back or say, “Maybe it just isn’t Jesus will my daughter be healed”, what made this stranger keep persisting, reaching in closer, kneeling, and start worshiping, praying, “Lord, help me”? 

(You’ll find this article in it’s entirety over here at Missional Women. Please, will you join me?)

Praying your Christmas was blessed and that the year ahead will bring simply more of His presence. 

~ Jen