Tag: God

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 2

Ruth, Part 1&2

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Adapted from She, Volume 2, pp 63-66

Read: Ruth 1-2:13

In yesterday’s journey, we focused on Naomi, who, along with her husband and sons, had left their Bethlehem home during a drought to dwell in the land of Moab. While they were there, not only did Naomi’s husband die, but her sons, who had married Moabite women, also died. For at least ten years, Naomi continued on in Moab with her widowed daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Our journey picks up today with the story of Ruth, who, when Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, left all that she knew behind and committed herself not only to her mother-in-law but to her God.

Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

Ruth 1:16-17

Ruth did not have to do this; Naomi had released both of her daughters-in-law from any obligation they may have felt by cultural tradition or allegiance to her sons that they owed her. She encouraged them to return to the homes of their own mothers. Orpah chose to do so, but Ruth, as Scripture bears witness, chose to leave not only her family but the gods of Moab behind.

Ruth was strong, courageous, bold, brave, and determined.

She, Volume 2, p64

As today’s study journal points out, Ruth was not only strong but she was also courageous, bold, brave, and determined. As we journey through her story, we will see how God used these characteristics to accomplish not only His purpose for her life but also for His people. We will watch Naomi’s bitter spirit come alive with joy, and we will see God divinely direct Ruth’s path to a “happily ever-after, purpose-filled ending”. Though I’m sure it didn’t seem that way to her at first.

Ruth is new to town, widowed, along with her widowed mother-in-law, who is admittedly struggling with bitterness. “They have no man to protect or provide for them, and no source of income,1” but Ruth does not shy away from doing what is necessary to survive and provide. It would not have been uncommon, in their situation, for her to have to beg, become a prostitute, sell herself as a slave, or glean.2 However, as God would have it, Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, so Ruth sought Naomi’s approval to glean. While gleaning sounds like the best of the options the women had, it came with its own problems and dangers, and, depending on the field you found to glean in, there was little to no promise of a profitable haul, as gleaners were limited not only in what would be left but in what they could take. In addition to these hurdles, there was the added challenge that Ruth was a Moabite and may not find a field where the owner would allow her to glean. There was also the real and present danger of assault because she was not only a young widow but a foreigner.

“There is nothing safe about Ruth going to glean in an Israelite’s field. She is wise to request permission from the harvest manager.”

I am a firm believer that there are absolutely no coincidences with God. So when we read that Ruth ended up in the field of Boaz, a relative of her dead father-in-law, Elimelech, we are allowed to see that she was divinely directed by God to this particular field.

So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

Ruth 2:3

When Boaz arrives and sees Ruth, he is curious and talks to his foreman about her. The foreman explains who she is and gives a glowing report of her work, which moves Boaz to talk to Ruth and encourage her to stay and work with them, telling her she will be safe and enjoy the privilege of water to drink and food to eat. Ruth is so moved by his kindness that she fell at his feet with gratitude, and asked him, “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?“

Boaz gave Ruth his field to glean from freely.
God has given us His Word and He shares it with us freely.

May we be mindful of where we are spending our time, and from what (whose) field(s) we are gleaning.

She, Volume 2, p66

As we read in verses 15 and 16, Boaz also made sure she would have good success in her gleaning. She had so much success that when she arrived home, Naomi’s surprise and joy were evident as she gathered details from Ruth about the day and how the Lord had blessed them by sending her to Boaz’s field.

That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.

Ruth 2:20

Friends, it is worth noting that if Ruth had returned to her mother’s home as Naomi had encouraged her, she might never have met Boaz and known the blessing of God’s hand on her life in the days and years to come.

It was no accident that God directed her to the field of Boaz.

“she went”
God gave her the faith to go.
“and came”
God directed her steps of where she should go.
“and gleaned”
God provided exactly what she needed, when and where she needed it.

She, Volume 2/p45
The More We Know

I love that the journal for today points out that not only did Boaz encourage Ruth to stay, but that he knew no other field could meet her need, and that “the field” is a picture of the Word of God. Oh may we continually glean3 from His Word.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 2

NAOMI

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Adapted from She, Volume 2 / pp 49-52

Read: Ruth 1:1-22

When a famine descended on the town of Bethlehem, Naomi and her husband, along with their two sons, left their home for Moab. Their intent was to dwell there for the duration of the famine, however they were there for at least ten years. During that time, Elimelech died, after which the sons both married Moabite women (which, for the record, Jewish law forbids).1 After they were married, the sons also died, leaving Naomi both widowed and childless, her only close family the two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Not surprisingly, when Naomi received word that the famine was over in Bethlehem, she decided to return to her homeland, the land of God’s people.

With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and the took the road that would lead them back to Judah.

Ruth 1:7

Shortly into their trip, Naomi, willing to go on alone, urged both girls (the only family and connections to her sons that she had left) to return to their “mother’s house’, for they had dealt kindly with her through the years. I can only imagine the great sacrifice this was for Naomi.

Her explanation to them, found in Ruth 1:12-13, revealed that she felt that the Lord’s hand had gone out against her. However, as David Guzik notes in his commentary, “she still moved back toward Him (Jerusalem/Bethlehem) rather than further away. This was a sign of trust and drawing closer to God.”

Ruth’s Conversion

While Orpah chose to return home, Ruth chose to continue on with Naomi, declaring, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth not only pledges herself to Naomi and her people, but to Naomi’s God – the true and living God of Israel.

Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Where ever you go, I will go; and where ever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.2

Ruth 1:16

When they arrived back in Bethlehem, Naomi told those who greeted her not to use the name Naomi but to use Mara instead, explaining that the Lord had dealt very bitterly with her; she had gone away full but had returned empty. She no longer felt worthy of the name Naomi, which means ‘pleasantness’, because clearly bitterness had consumed her.

It is important to note, as the study guide points out, that there are many names changed by God throughout Scripture (Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul…), but here, Ruth changed her own name because she was convinced that “the Lord had testified against her and the Almighty had afflicted her.”

It is important to notice that Naomi wasn’t oblivious to the drastic changes that occurred in her life, which were having a great impact on her. One commentator points out that this is most evident in her statement that “the Almighty(supreme ruler) had afflicted her,” instead of using the more personal name of Yahweh (the God who cares).

I went looking for answers as my own mind started questioning if the suffering of Naomi and her family was due to sin, such as their leaving Bethlehem due to the famine, or dwelling in the pagan land of Moab instead of staying and trusting God to carry them through the famine.

Concerning Naomi’s belief in the trouble that had come to her family, commentator David Guzik points out:

i. It is hard to say that this was the direct hand of God’s judgment against them. It is sometimes difficult to discern why tragic things happen. What is certain is that the change of scenery didn’t make things better.

ii. We sometimes think we can move away from our problems, but find we just bring them with us. No matter where you go, you bring yourself with you – so the same problems can continue in a different place.

Reflection and Application

Reflection: Naomi serves as an example that:

  • Even after great pain and sorrow, we can return to where God would have us be.
  • Sorrow can change our character if we let it.

Application: Consider these questions:

  • How have you needed to return to the Lord in the past?
  • Has bitterness ever affected you?

The More We Know

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 2

Mary Magdalene

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Adapted from the study, She Volume 2, pp41-44

Read: Mark 16:1-15 and John 20:1-18

SHE WATCHED HIM DIE ON THE CROSS.
SHE SAW HIS BODY BURIED INSIDE THE TOMB.
SHE WAS THE FIRST TO SEE JESUS AFTER HE HAD RISEN.

SHE, VOLUME 2, P41

Mary Magdalene is the Mary from whom Jesus cast out seven devils (Mark 16:9), and according to Mark’s gospel (16:9), she was the first to see Jesus after He arose from the grave. Her master and teacher, whom she had seen brutally tortured and crucified, was no longer in the grave but standing behind her calling her name (John 20:16). She had seen HIm, but had mistaken Him for the gardener (Jn 20:15), until He said her name: Jesus saith unto her, “Mary,” and she immediately turned and called Him Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 

John 20:16

I love that the study guide for this journey points out that “He knew her name, just as He knows ours,” but I am just as moved and somewhat convicted by the evidence that even though she did not recognize Him when she saw Him, when He called to her, she recognized His voice. “Knowing the Lord’s voice indicates experiential knowledge through a relationship with Him.”1 This is an important lesson Jesus had taught the disciples earlier in His ministry. May we never be so busy or preoccupied with life that we fail to see Jesus, and may we always know His voice when He calls our name.

“…she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher..”

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him”

John 20:1-2

“Mary neglected to remember what Jesus had said would happen.”

We know from Mark’s writings that Jesus had taught His disciples that men would take Him and kill Him, but that He would rise again on the third day (Mark 9:31). However, when she found the tomb was empty, she forgot what had been said and panicked she found the tomb was empty. In her panic, rather than running with the jubilant cry that Christ had arisen, Mary Magdalene ran to tell the others His body had been stolen, and we do not know where He is.

Friends, we would be wise to learn from Mary Magdalene and not allow fear or other distractions to cause us to forget what we have heard and seen from Him.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 2

Jochebed and Miriam

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Adapted from She, Volume 2, pp 35-36

Read: Exodus 2

Jochebed, was the mother of Moses, Miriam, and Aaron. She had Moses during the days when Pharaoh had given an order to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the Nile River. (Exodus 1:15–16).  She was a devoted and godly mother who found a way to protect her son (Ex 1:17-19 and 2:3) from Pharaoh’s order (Ex.1:6-18). As bibleref.com points out, “Ironically, this very command from Pharaoh will frame the life of the man who eventually leads Israel out of slavery. She was a devoted and godly mother, trusting God to protect her son.

“She carefully prepared an ark of bulrushes, covered it with slime and pitch, and placed him inside.”

She Volume 2, p35

As with Hannah and Samuel (1 Samuel 1 and 2), when Jochebed we can only imagine how difficult it was to place her son into the basket – and then into the water. She actually found it so difficult that she couldn’t bear to leave him unattended, but the Bible says her daughter Miriam is there to watch over Moses. so they would know what happened to him.1

Jochebed refused to leave Moses unattended.

Miriam (yet another woman of the Bible – bonus addition to our journey), was used in the plot to save Moses from certain death. She watches over her baby brother, Moses, among the bulrushes on the banks of the Nile. Their mother had hidden Moses in a basket on the riverbank to protect him from Pharaoh’s decree to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the river (Exodus 1:22—2:4). Oddly enough, (or perhaps – perfect as planned) as Miriam watches, it is Pharaoh’s daughter who discovers and pities Moses. Miriam quickly intervenes to ask if the Egyptian princess would like a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for her. The princess agrees, and Miriam quickly gets her mother, Jochebed. Not knowing that Jochebed was Moses’ mother, Pharaoh’s daughter commands her to nurse him and bring him back to her when he is older. By the sovereign grace of God, Moses’ was saved from the waters and Jochebed was not only able to nurse and care for him in the early years of his life, but she was also paid for it (Exodus 2:5–10).

“Jochebed (and Miriam) serve as examples that God can use the most unique situations to protect His children and His plan for their lives.”  She, Volume 2, p36

When Jochebed placed Moses in the river that day, she had faith that he would not only survive, but also thrive.

She, Volume 2, p36
Reflection and Application:
  • What have you placed in your basket in faith that God would intervene?

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 2

Eve

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Adapted from, She, Volume 2, p 17-18

Read: Genesis 2 and 3

Eve, “The woman who was instrumental in sin entering the world and from whom we can learn “what not to do”. She was the first woman created by God from Adam’s rib, placed in the Garden of Eden as a helpmate to her husband. Given the privilege of God’s company, of knowing His goodness, and the beauty of His creation prior to sin entering the world. She could be the poster child for Peter’s warning to be self-controlled and alert, because our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion (or in Eve’s case, like a serpent) looking for someone to devour.1

The study guide for our journey focuses first on the creation of Eve:

  • She was taken out of the man (Gen. 2:22).
  • She was created in the image of God, (Gen. 1:27).
  • She was created with purpose, (Gen. 2:18).

In these truths, we see Eve as “the first woman“, who “serves as an example that God creates each woman with purpose and has a unique plan for her life.“

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

23 And Adam said:

“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Genesis 2:15-20

And then our attention is turned to her conversation with the serpent and her subsequent fall.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 (And the woman said to the serpent), “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Genesis 3:1-3
  • Eve not only entered into conversation with the serpent, she also embellished what God said, using the words, “nor shall you touch it.” These words were not part of the original command, and they are confirmed nowhere else in the Bible (Genesis 2:16-17).
    • ‘Oh, be careful, little mouth, what you say.’

But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (If you eat) its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:16-17

  • She desired what the tree had to offer (Genesis 3:6).
    • So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, (Genesis 3:6a)
      • ‘Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.‘

The verse reveals Eve’s three motivations for crossing that line: The tree’s fruit could satisfy her body’s appetite for food, the tree was visually attractive, and the tree could make her wise. Those motivations line up closely with the Apostle John’s description of the things which still drive the world as we know it today: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

Bibleref.com
  • She was deceived.
    • ‘Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear; and be careful, little mind, what you think.’
      • She knew what God had told Adam, and yet she added to His words and justified her desire
  • She had a choice to make...
    • she took of its fruit and ate… (Genesis 3:6b)
      • She gave it to her husband, and he ate it too… (Genesis 3:6c)
        • ‘Oh, be careful little hands what you do.‘

Friend, if you’re wondering what good can come from focusing on Eve’s fall, I encourage you to consider these truths- one is an important warning and the other is life-changing encouragement:

  • Sin will take you farther than you want to go, and cost you more than you want to pay.
  • He can use us despite our sin and fulfill His will through us if we will simply yield to Him.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 2

Anna

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Adapted from She, volume 2, p11-12

Read: Luke 2:36-38 and 2 Cor. 9:15

Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher,1 and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.  She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

Luke 2:36-38

I love and appreciate that God allowed Anna, who had heard prophecies about the coming Messiah for many years, not only to believe in Him but to meet Him face to face. Luke wrote that, “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”

Anna, one of the few prophetesses mentioned in the Bible. “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying” (Luke 2:37). After becoming a widow, Anna dedicated herself wholly to the Lord. She never left the temple in Jerusalem but spent her time worshiping, fasting, and praying. Her many years of sacrifice and service were worth it all when she came face-to-face with Jesus, the Messiah, the One for whom she had waited so long. I see the fingerprints of God in the timing described by Luke with these words:  “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God.” What stands out to me most is not only her devotion but her delight in seeing Him turned into praising Him and then to sharing Him with “everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”

Friends, may we be faithful and alert, like Anna, so that we do not miss the presence and work of Jesus in and around our lives. When we see Him, may we faithfully praise Him, and, like Anna, may we then faithfully proclaim Him to everyone.

The More We Know

Posted in Bible study, Conversations With God, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 1

Be A Woman of the Bible

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Adapted from, She, Volume 1/p75-76

Read: Deuteronomy 17:19; John 5:39; 2 Timothy 2:15

Deuteronomy 17:19

He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.

John 5:39

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

2 Timothy 2:15

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey through the lives of. 12 women in the Bible. Some were very familiar, others not so much. Yet all were beneficial examples of how we are to live our lives as women of faith. As the study guide points out, our names are not printed on the pages of Scripture, but we can still be known as a Woman of the Bible; all we have to do is let the character/qualities of their lives shape how we walk with the Lord.

However, the study guide also comes with a warning and a choice from the book of James, where we read:  But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does. Jame 1-22-25

We can’t just know what the Bible says; we must do what it says. Yes, we must study it, but just as important as knowing God’s Word is living out His Word.

There is a difference between what you know and what you believe. (she, volume 1)

There are many people who know countless facts about Who Jesus is, yet they have not placed their faith and trust in what He did on the cross for them.

She, Volume 1, p76

Friends, the Scriptures and our study guide make it clear that if we want to be a woman of the Bible, it’s not about what we know but how we live that matters. Let’s make it our purpose not only to remember the women we have learned about on this journey, but also to apply what we know about them to our lives. “For, if we do not apply what we know to our life, it simply ends with knowledge.” And that, as James says, is to “deceive ourselves”.

Reflection and Application
  • What do you believe?
  • How are you living that out?

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

The Widow of Zarephath

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Adapted from She, Volume 1/p67-68

1 Kings 17

What would you do if you were down to only enough food in your house for one more meal for you and your child … and a stranger came along and asked for you to feed him? Would you offer him to share in what you had left, or would you explain honestly that you had just enough for you and your child to have one last meal before you died? Would you turn him away? If you were the man hearing her plight, would you still let her feed you or go on your way?

Our journey today takes us to a time when Elijah finds himself in this very situation. Sent by God to a widow, living in a time of severe drought, was down to her last handful of meal and just enough oil to make one more meal for her and her son. It is a beautiful story of both faith and obedience and there is much we can learn from it today. Gotquestions.org describes the insights like this:

“First, God often uses unlikely people and sources to accomplish His purposes. Second, God’s mercy extends to all people, both Jews and Gentiles, and the Sidonian widow was blessed for her faith (see Acts 10:34–35). Third, God requires faith (Hebrews 11:6). The widow’s miracle only came after she prepared a meal for Elijah—an act of sincere faith on her part.?

Gotquestions.org/The widow of Zarephath

The widow of Zarephath serves as an example of the many promises God has made to us, if only we will simply trust & obey Him.

She, Volume 1/p68
The More We Know

For a wonderful synopsis of Elijah’s encounter with the widow and her son, you will want to visit the link below, from gotquestions.org, and read how Elijah was fed, the woman’s faith was tested, and the widow’s son, though dead, was made alive.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Reflection and Application

Take a minute when you’re done reading to tell us what the testimony of the Widow of Zarephath means to you. You can share your answer/thoughts in the comment section below.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Elijah-widow.html

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

The Syrophenician Woman

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Adapted from She, Volume 1, p 57-58

Read: Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:25-26

This passage can often be misunderstood or taken out of context, so to help us not fall into this trap, I am starting off with some helpful commentary from bibleref.com:

In a further effort to withdraw from crowds, Jesus has withdrawn from Israel entirely. He has travelled into pagan Gentile territory east of Galilee. Even here, though, it seems He is known at least by some. This is somewhat ironic, as Jesus had earlier referred to this region of “Tyre and Sidon” in His criticism of Israel’s stubbornness (Matthew 11:20–24).

Here, a non-Israelite Canaanite woman comes to Him. She is crying, and she asks Jesus for mercy, addressing Him as Lord and Son of David. This woman’s reference indicates she knows something about Israel and Judaism. She tells Christ that her daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. His response seems confusing, at first, but proves to have an important lesson attached (Matthew 15:23, 28).

Demon oppression and possession were common around the known world of this era. The existence of demons was not debated. Too many people had seen a person oppressed by a demon to doubt it. Various symptoms of demon oppression witnessed in the New Testament include drastic personality change, refusal to wear clothes, supernatural strength, violent actions, illness, being mute or deaf, and intentional self-harm.

Bibleref.com/Matthew 15:22

I love the way the study guide outlines the woman’s actions:

  • She cried unto the Lord…
    • She was a mother and desperate for someone to help her daughter.
  • She fell at His feet in humble desperation…
    • She was a Canaanite, a gentile, yet she addresses Jesus as the “Son of David,” indicating that she knew He was the Messiah of Israel.
  • She did not receive an answer immediately…
    • Jesus seemingly pays no attention to her.
  • She kept praying…
    • His silence doesn’t deter her; if anything, it only makes her cry out all the more, so much so that Scripture says the disciples were bothered by her cries for help.
      • It’s unclear if the disciples wanted Jesus to send her away without helping her. More likely, they wanted the Master to heal the woman’s child, so she’d go away and leave them alone (Luke 18:1–8).1
  • She persistently prayed for her need…
    • Whether it was desperation for her daughter or a deep faith in Jesus, or both ~ the waiting did not shake her faith!
      • Perhaps it was because of the disciples concern over her annoyance, or maybe it was the persistence of the woman, whatever the reason – Jesus answers her, explaining: “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep ~ the people of Israel.” – When the woman persisted by worshiping Him and pleading again for His help, Jesus responds with words that would have, at the very least, been hurtful for the woman to hear, and often a portion of the passage that is “taken out of context, making it seem derogatory, or even hateful. It’s neither: Jesus has a purpose for this dialogue (Matthew 15:28).2”
        • The suggested purpose by the commentator is that “Christ’s intent, apparently, was to test the woman’s commitment to her request, and her faith in Him.” Which, by their continued dialogue, we see is exactly what happened.

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Matthew 16:26-28

The final observation, and what I believe is one of the best takeaways of the study, cannot be said any better than this: “The Syrophenician Woman serves as an example of how we should be persistent in our faith.”

The Syrophenician Woman serves as an example of how we should be persistent in our faith.

She, volume 1/p58
Reflection/Application
  • What are you persistently praying about? What could you or should you be persistently praying about?
    • Consider this encouragement from Matthew 7:7
      • Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
        • “Some commentators suggest these words imply a progression. It’s possible that ‘asking’ means making a request, ‘seeking’ implies persistence or fervor, and ‘knocking’ represents continued and ongoing persistence.” bibleref.com

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

Phoebe

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Romans 16

Phoebe is only mentioned once in the Bible, here in Romans 16:1-2, where Paul introduces her as a sister in the faith and a servant in the church, and then encourages the Church at Rome to:

…welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

Romans 16:1-2

One of the things I like about what is known of Phoebe is that she has a willing spirit. One example the study guide points out is that, although she was from Corinth, she had journeyed to Rome to help in some way, and Paul was recommending her for the task, and suggesting that the church help her.

The KJV uses the word “succourer” to describe Phoebe (16:2). It is far easier and understandable to use the word helper, as many of the other translations do. However, in order to understand and appreciate Phoebe’s true character and why Paul was encouraging the church to welcome and support her, we must understand that she was someone who offered practical help and support, or even rescue. She wasn’t just known to help one but many…helping, supporting, rescuing, delivering, assisting as she saw the need.

Gotquestions.org provides a helpful description of Phoebe that I believe you will find both encouraging and inspiring. Check it out: https://www.gotquestions.org/Phoebe-in-the-Bible.html

With Paul’s glowing reference to Phoebe, I believe we can confidently agree with the study guide’s statement that, “Phoebe serves as an example that when we serve the LORD, our labor is not in vain.”

Reflection and Application
  • What characteristics of Phoebe would you like to have?