When God Seems Contrary Toni M. Babcock
There are two choices always set before us — what we choose to believe about God and what we choose to believe about ourselves.
There is perhaps no better story in the Bible to illustrate this than the story of the Canaanite woman’s faith:
When Jesus had withdrawn to the area of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.”
At first, Jesus did not say a word.
His disciples became impatient with the woman and urged Him to “Send her away because she is crying out after us.”
Surprisingly, Jesus replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Yet, not surprising, knowing this was the divine plan before Jesus’ commissioned His disciples to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.)
Still she insisted, “Lord, help me!”
“It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” Jesus said. Jesus appears to be goading her for a reaction!
“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
“Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was healed. (Based on Matthew 15: 21-28 CSB)
The woman acknowledged what she believed about herself and what she believed about Him — and she passed the test through faith.
Jesus was the Lord, and she was his servant. His crumbs were enough to move the mountain in her life. Nothing could dissuade her from employing an undefeatable faith in God’s indefatigable power.
Toni M. Babcock is author of Reflections from the Heart, in Light of the Gospel of Jesus. Contact | 
