Where is your faith when God delivers you but an obstacle comes up to cause you to doubt your deliverance, even contradict it? What if God uses that obstacle to completely remove your oppressors or bring to an end your oppression? What if God uses it to strengthen your faith in Him? After all, if He did it before He can do it again.
    Such was the case with the Israelites in Exodus chapter 14. After years of oppression and slavery in Egypt, God had miraculously delivered them from their oppressors. As they walked in freedom out of Egypt, they must have felt relief and hope, feelings that had been alien to them for some time. Interestingly, as they headed towards the Promised Land of Canaan, God lead them along an unusual path, a path that would end at the Red Sea. While on the way, the Egyptians who had just set them free, changed their minds and pursued after them, catching up to them when they reached the Red Sea. The Israelites felt trapped. A large body of water was in front of them and their oppressors close behind. Yet, God miraculously parted the waters so that they were able to walk through on dry land. However, the Egyptians, who were right behind them, all drowned when the Lord returned the waters to their original place.
    Imagine this: the Israelites had just walked in freedom out of the land of their oppression. They felt confident, believing they had left their life of slavery behind. However, not long after leaving, they encounter two problems - one, their oppressors had decided to pursue after them to enslave them again and two, they saw no way of escape as they faced a large body of water in front of them. Immediately, as doubt and fear set in, they began to complain. They felt that it would have been better if they had remained in Egypt rather than die in the wilderness (v.12). 
    Isn’t that typical of human response? We experience deliverance from a situation but as soon as another challenge presents itself, our faith seems to fade. We wonder if we are really delivered, if the battle is really over. But, here’s an interesting thought. God was the One who led the Israelites along that fateful path. He knew exactly what He was doing. They did not and could not see it from His point of view. But it was a question of trust. They had to trust that the same God who delivered them out of the land of Egypt would somehow deliver them through that large body of water, and, without the Egyptians being able to recapture them. 
    Sometimes, it can be difficult, as we like to say, to trace God’s hand. What He is doing just doesn’t make sense. Are we truly delivered? Is the battle really over or is it just beginning? Like the Egyptians, it’s about trusting God when we can’t see the way out, when things seem to be going differently to how we had expected or hoped. It may look like defeat but in reality, it may just be God working things out even better than we had hoped or expected.
    You see, God could have allowed the Israelites to leave the Egyptians behind in Egypt. That would have been quite fine. But, God did something even better. He completely destroyed them so that the Israelites would never have to worry about them again. The Lord directed them to follow a path that would trap them and cause their enemies to believe that they could overtake them. God knows how to set our enemies up for defeat. The problem is we and our enemies think we are the ones that will be defeated when in reality it’s going to be them. It was a setup, not to destroy the Israelites but their enemies and to give the Israelites a far greater freedom than they could have ever believed or imagined.
    So, whatever you might be facing today that seems to contradict the good that God is doing in your life, be encouraged, God knows what He is doing. It may look like defeat but in reality God is working things out far better than you can dream or imagine. It’s about trusting God when what you see or feel doesn’t make sense. It’s about trusting that He is still in control even when it feels like you’re losing control. God never loses control. That’s the first thing to remember. And second, when you put your trust in Him, He will always work out what is best for you.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. We may not be able to understand everything He is doing, but it’s about trusting that He is working and that He is doing what is best for us. 
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    In Acts 12:1-17, Peter, Jesus’ disciple, is arrested by Herod and put in prison under heavy guard. He intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. During this time, the church prayed fervently for Peter. 
    The night before his trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains with sentries guarding the entrance. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in his cell. He touched Peter commanding him to get up. As he did so, his chains fell off. He then instructed Peter to put on his clothes and sandals and cloak and to follow him. As he led Peter out of the prison, Peter did not think that this was really happening to him. He thought he was seeing a vision. They passed all the guards and when they reached the gate leading to the city, it opened on its own and they walked through it. When they reached the end of the street, the angel disappeared. Peter came to himself realising that the Lord had sent an angel to rescue him. He then went to the house where fellow disciples were praying for him and they were astonished at his miraculous rescue.
    As I read this story, I felt like this was a Mission Impossible movie, because it was truly an impossible rescue that had taken place. Herod did not simply arrest Peter and put him in prison. He went through great pains to put him under heavy guard. I mean, who exactly did he expect to free him from prison!? He was chained and heavily guarded with two guards in the cell with him, guards at the entrance, on top of which, he was chained with two chains. Escape was literally impossible! Yet, what is impossible with man, is possible with God! The church knew they did not have the manpower to deliver him, so they did the best thing they could do - they prayed. 
    This is an excellent reminder and encouragement to us that when we face impossible situations, the best we can do is turn to the only One who can deliver us. God is not bound or restricted by what binds and constricts us. The angel of the Lord moved effortlessly through walls and doors and loosed chains to rescue Peter. As God’s child, Peter was never really bound because he served a God who could deliver out of the most impossible of situations. It’s the same with us.
    But Peter also had support from the church. While he was in prison, they prayed earnestly for him. The Bible says that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man, avails much (James 5:16b). God answered their prayer on Peter’s behalf and the miraculous happened. What makes this story so amazing is that God did not send a human rescue team. He sent His best - an angel to do what humans could not.
    What I also find interesting, is that Peter was not awake and stressed about his situation. In fact, he was sleeping between two soldiers while chains held his hands fast. It makes me think about the reality that sometimes, we just have to rest and trust in God’s care for us. When the situation is too big for us or becomes overwhelming, it’s about learning to rest in the God who alone is able to bring about the deliverance we need. We can’t but He can.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is able to do the impossible. Whatever is bigger than us, is insignificant to Him. He is able. He will not allow us to go through alone. Just trust Him.

    In Mark 6:30-44 Jesus miraculously feeds five thousand people with very little resources. The disciples had just returned from an evangelistic trip. Jesus had sent them out two by two to preach in various cities and to bring healing and deliverance to those who needed it. 
    They reported all they had done and Jesus realised that they needed some rest. He tried to bring them to a quiet place but a large crowd followed them. Jesus proceeded to teach the crowd but realised that they were hungry. He told His disciples to give them something to eat but they knew that would be impossible. A young boy offered his lunch of five loaves and two fish. Jesus blessed and broke the food into pieces. All the people were fed and they were even able to collect twelve baskets of leftovers. 
    One of the things the Bible says is that Jesus had compassion on the people. While the disciples, seeing no way to feed them, could only think of sending them away to get their own food, Jesus saw and chose to respond to a need. He realised the people would not be able to make it to buy food because they were too hungry and faint. He chose to help them. And when given only five loaves and two fish, He multiplied it so it was more than what the people needed.
    This story reminds us of God’s unfailing love for us. When we cannot see how we will make it through various situations, God always sees and even creates a way out for us. It’s as if He has a desperate need to show His love for us, to let us know that He sees us and He cares. That’s what Jesus did for those people. He let them know that He saw their need and that He cared enough to do something to help them. He did not just watch them suffer, but He made a way to relieve their hunger. 
    But even before Jesus dealt with their physical hunger, He saw their spiritual need. They had witnessed the healings and all He had done for others and their souls were crying out for more. Jesus recognised their spiritual need and He proceeded to teach them. He loved them enough to feed their spirits, even though He knew that His own disciples were tired and needed rest. He was not unconcerned for His disciples’ need for rest but He was just as concerned about meeting all these people’s needs. 
    God wants to meet all of your needs. He is not just concerned about the one or two things you may be concerned about. He is concerned about every aspect of your life. While we may be focusing on that thing that seems so important to us, God sees all of it. He sees what’s important to us at the moment but He also sees those things that we may think too trivial to bother Him about. He wants to address all of it, that’s how much He loves us.
    By the time Jesus was finished feeding that crowd, He had addressed both their spiritual and their physical needs. They left that place properly fed in every way. Jesus left nothing out. And He will do the same for you and me. That’s how much He loves us, every part of us, the good, the bad, the easy parts, the difficult parts. God can handle it. It may be too much for us but it’s not too much for Him. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is concerned about every area of your life. He wants to address every need both big and small and when He is finished, you will not be in lack. He loves you that much. Be encouraged.

    In Luke 22:47-53 Jesus is about to be arrested. As his disciples see what is about to happen, one of them asks if they should attack the men with their swords. Even as he asks for direction, one of the disciples cuts off the high priest's servant’s right ear with his sword. Jesus rebukes the act and touches the man’s ear and heals him.
    This is the point where Jesus is about to be arrested, tried, convicted and crucified on a cross. Jesus has the support of his disciples to defend Him and possibly rescue Him from this situation. In fact, Jesus has a whole army of angels at His disposal to defend Him and rescue Him. Yet, He doesn’t choose to be defended or rescued. He knows His time has come. He knows His assignment. This is probably His last act of ministry and it is not to a blind man or sick person or even someone demon-possessed. It is to someone working for someone who is about to do Him evil. 
    In Matthew 5:44, Jesus says: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute you.” Jesus did not just preach it, He lived it. The men that came to Him, came to arrest Him. They all witnessed His choice to show love in return by healing the high priest's servant’s ear, yet, that did not change their course of action. They still chose to do the evil intended while He had chosen to do good in the face of evil. 
    Think about it though. We make mistakes, are even unkind and insensitive, at times, in our treatment of our God, yet, He chooses to love us anyway. And He doesn’t just love us in word but in His actions. It’s as if God is just waiting each day to show His love for us. He doesn’t need us to be perfect or to have it all together. He loves us whether we deserve it or not. 
    Can you think of times when you know that you know that you didn’t deserve God’s love but He loved you anyway? Can you think of times when you made a wrong choice or decision yet God still chose to bless you and take care of your every need? 
    Let’s look at the high priest’s servant for a bit. How do you think you would have responded or felt in his situation? His ear was cut off as an act of defence, yet, the person they were going to arrest did not condone the act and say “You deserved that!” Some might have even expected an all out battle between the soldiers and Jesus’ disciples. Yet, none of that happened. Instead, something miraculous took place. This same Jesus put His hand on his ear and healed and restored it as if the incident had never happened!             
​    The Bible does not tell us how this man may have felt but he probably melted on the inside. You see, Jesus did not just heal his ear. The reality is his future would have been affected because his hearing would not have been as perfect as it should have been. He may have even lost his job depending on what his job entailed. Jesus not only physically healed him but ensured that his future would not be negatively impacted by the loss of his outer ear. And guess what? Jesus was supposed to be the enemy! He did not have to do that for him but he did. Jesus showed love to his enemies although He did not have to. 
    How much more does this God of unconditional love show His love to us, His children. Each day we mess up, we make mistakes, we may even commit intentional sins, yet God loves us and still wants the best for us. You can’t tell God who to love and you certainly can’t stop Him from loving whom He chooses to love. God is love. Period. And as His children He will always have our backs and choose to love us over and over and over again. Be encouraged!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God’s love is intentional, steadfast, unchangeable. No matter how much we may change, God’s love for us does not. We can certainly depend on a love that sustains, keeps and endures. His love never fails!

 ​    In Genesis Chapter 1 we read about God’s creative activities. He created the heavens and the earth, the seas, all living things, including human beings. At the end of that first chapter, in verse 31, it says: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” What that simply tells me is that everything that God created was good. He did not create anything and consider it defective or ugly or useless. Everything He created with passion and purpose. He loved all of it.
    But although He viewed all of His creation in a favourable light, there is one part of His creation He gave special care and attention to - man. “And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” When God created us, He chose to  let us be a reflection of Himself. He did not bestow that privilege on any other creation. To me that reveals the depth of God’s love for us. He could have created us like the animals but He did not. He created us in His image and likeness.
    We should keep that in mind the next time we are tempted to criticise our physical appearance - our shape, our size, our nose, our eyes or any other part of our body that we, or others, think is not good enough. When God created each of us in our mother’s womb, He was fully aware of what He was doing and took great care in how we were being formed. Psalm 139:13-14 says: “For You created my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” God knew exactly what He was doing and He made no mistake in our creation. He loves us that much.
    And as if that were not enough, He created us to have a relationship with Him. He did not want little toys that He could play with or admire. He wanted a relationship with us and that says a lot about His unique love and care for us.
    In the cool of the day, He delighted in walking and talking with Adam and Eve in the garden. Similarly, God enjoys communicating with us. He delights in spending time with us. He doesn’t get tired of us but enjoys our presence and wants us to enjoy His.
    The Bible may be filled with stories of God’s love for us. In fact, some would say that the Bible is the greatest love story ever. Yet, at the end of the day, we can’t forget or ignore the first of His love stories - His creation of us and the fact that He chose to create us in His image and likeness. To me that’s a special kind of love that God has for us. He chose to make us perfect. He chose to make us beautiful. And there is nothing we can do to change that.
    So, be encouraged. God did not make a mistake when He created you. He created you with beauty and purpose in mind. You are not an accident, you are not a mistake. God loves you and will always want the best for you.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God knew you before He even formed you. He had purpose and a plan in mind for you. And when He created you, He did not say that He had made a mistake but rather that what He had created was indeed very good. Be encouraged.

    Daniel lived in a home filled with violence. At seven years old, his parents divorced. Not long after that, he was molested. But when he told his parents they did nothing. He felt unloved and abandoned and became very angry with God. He began getting into fights, smoking, drinking and using drugs. At sixteen he became a drug dealer. He was attracted to the money, power and the influence he had over the people who wanted drugs. At the age of nineteen, he got married. It was a toxic, abusive relationship much like his parents’ relationship had been. When he caught his wife cheating, he was arrested for domestic violence. His life was full of chaos and falling apart. 
    While in jail, he found a Bible and as he began to read the story of Samson, he felt that God was telling him that He saw him and that He had never left him. Unfortunately he felt unworthy and found it difficult to accept this. When he was released, he attempted to rebuild his drug dealing business. Instead, he became high on his own drugs and ended up homeless. The one bright spot in his life he found at a local church where they fed him and allowed him to stay in the church building when he was homeless. In spite of this, it wasn’t until a year later when he finally turned to God. 
    At the age of twenty-two, he was arrested for numerous charges and sentenced to nineteen months in prison. He cried out to God to help him because he realised that he kept making the same mistakes over and over again and it always ended with the same results. As he sought God, He felt God telling him to look to Jesus because He was the only way to heaven. He finally surrendered completely to God. As he spent time in God’s Word, he received healing in his heart and mind. He began to understand God’s love for him and that he did not have to be perfect to have a relationship with God, God would meet him right where he was.
    When he was released, he began giving back to the community. He founded a non-profit organization and three Christian rehabilitation houses. He finally realised that all that he had been striving to achieve his own way, when he surrendered to God, God gave him all of those things.
    Daniel’s story is truly one of redemption. God did not give up on him and kept pursuing him no matter how many times he failed. God did not focus on his numerous faults and mistakes but on him. God was interested in him and loved him in spite of all that he had done. It’s the same with each of us. God does not just abandon us the minute we do something wrong. In fact, many of us can testify that, like Daniel, we failed over and over again and yet, God was still there. He did not leave us or abandon us even though we may have deserved it. People may have given up on us but God did not. He loved us anyway. 
    I think that’s the greatest take away from this story. God loves us. Period. We don’t have to be perfect or have it all together. As Daniel realised, God will meet us right where we are. Isaiah 54:10 (NIV) comes to mind: “‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord who has compassion on you.”  Everything around us might be falling apart, but God’s love for us will remain stable. His love doesn’t change because He doesn’t change. 
    So be encouraged today. No matter how unworthy you may feel, remember this: God. Loves. You. You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to get it right all the time. God loves you just as you are and will work with you to bring the healing and peace you need. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. You don’t have to do anything for God’s love. He loves you no matter how many times you have failed. Just surrender to Him and trust Him because He is well able to do the change in your life that you can’t do on your own. 

    In Numbers Chapter 13, the Lord directs Moses to send twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, to explore the land of Canaan before they entered it. When they return, ten of the men give a bad report. They acknowledge that indeed the land was flowing with milk and honey but the people were intimidating and they were not convinced they could defeat them (vv.26-28). Even when Caleb from the tribe of Judah assures them that they would be able to take possession of the land, the other men silence him with negative comments. They focus on the fact that the inhabitants of the land were giants and therefore too powerful for them to conquer. 
    In Chapter 14 the people complain against Moses and Aaron and threaten to choose a new leader to take them back to Egypt. But Joshua and Caleb speak to them and assure them that the land was indeed a good land. They encourage them not to rebel against the Lord and not to be afraid of the inhabitants of the land. They tell them that the inhabitants of the land had no protection while they, the Israelites, had the Lord on their side (vv.6-9).
    Just like many of the Israelites, Joshua and Caleb had witnessed the Lord’s goodness and protection over His people. They chose to trust what they had seen God do. This faith is what caused them not to focus on the negative things they had seen in the land of Canaan. They were not disheartened by the size of the people there or the strength of their cities. The reality was God had promised them this land and they were confident that He would help them possess it. Their fellow spies, on the other hand, were distracted and discouraged by what they saw. Although they admitted that the land was good, they could not get past the reality of the challenges in their way.     
    When you think about it, we all face situations like this one. God may have given us a promise but when we are faced with challenges on the way to that promise, we get discouraged and disbelief steps in. We focus on the negative we can see instead of on the God who has been consistently faithful to us over and over again. The negatives feel so real that we start wondering if we would ever receive God’s promise; if we would ever be healed; if we would ever get that financial breakthrough; if a significant relationship in our life would ever be healed and restored. The devil’s job is to distract us to the point where we stop believing; and when we stop believing, we can miss God’s best for us. Once we can recognise the enemy’s strategy, we can stand and determine in our hearts and by our actions that God is well able to bring His own word to pass. 
    And so I am encouraged by Joshua’s and Caleb’s persistent defence of their God and His ability to bring His promise to them to pass. Their faith was persistent in the face of opposition. They chose not to be distracted by the challenges they faced. They chose instead to believe that God would be the one - not them - to give them that land. “If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us ‘a land which flows with milk and honey’ ” (v8). It was never about their ability, but their God’s ability to do the impossible. 
    Similarly with us, it’s not about our ability but our God’s ability to get the job done … in His own time and way. Sometimes we just have to choose to believe even in the face of opposition. The entire camp of Israel opposed Joshua and Caleb’s stance on moving forward to possess the land, yet, they both stood firm believing that the One to get them there would be Jehovah God.
    At the end of the day, God will never promise us anything that He can’t handle. No matter what obstacles, challenges, distractions, present themselves choose to remember who your God is; choose to remember His faithfulness and the reality that nothing and no one could ever be more powerful than Him. If He has given you a word, a promise, He is obligated to fulfil it. He can do no less.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is not a god who will leave us alone to figure it out. He is right there, ever-present, willing and able to guide us along the way. Whatever He has promised us, He will bring it to pass, no matter the obstacles that seem to tell us otherwise. God is able. He will do as He has promised. Be encouraged.

    In Genesis chapters 6 to 9, we read the account of Noah and the ark. Noah was found righteous before God but those around him were filled with wickedness. Subsequently, God, no longer being able to stand the wickedness of man, decided to bring an end to it. He instructed Noah to build a huge ark, large enough to house him and his family and two of every kind of animal on the face of the earth at that time. God’s plan was to send rain and flood on the earth which would wipe out the entire human and animal race, except for those in the ark. 
    Noah proceeded to build and complete the ark after which God directed him and his family and all the animals chosen to enter. When they were safely inside, God shut them in. The rains and the flood came and the latter lifted the ark off the ground. The rains fell for forty days and nights. When it stopped, the water gradually receded until the ark was on dry ground again. Noah and his family and the animals were then able to leave the ark with God’s command to be fruitful and increase and to fill the earth.
    Noah was clearly a man of faith. He believed what God told him and followed His instructions explicitly. God told him that rain and floods would come. The interesting thing is that no one up to that time had ever seen or experienced rain or flooding before. But God told Noah that that is what would happen and Noah believed Him. Noah did not need a second or third opinion from anyone else. If God said this is what would happen, Noah believed Him even though no one had ever seen it. That’s a perfect example of walking by faith and not by sight. I love the fact that Noah never questioned God. God said it and as far as he was concerned, that settled it. No wonder why God was able to trust him with this responsibility. Wouldn’t you like God to trust you like that? Knowing that whatever He told you, you wouldn’t question Him but simply trust that He knows and He would not lead you astray? I know that’s the kind of faith and trust that God wants from each of His children, trusting Him especially in those times when it doesn’t make sense and we can’t see how it will all work out. 
    Here’s the other thing - Noah had to exercise faith to believe in a God no one else in the world at that time was willing to believe in. Noah is described as righteous while everyone around him was wicked, hence the reason for the coming rain and flood to destroy them. Even though they may have seen him building the ark and would have asked questions, they still did not believe because their desire was not for God the way Noah’s was. In short, Noah had to stand alone and that may not have been easy - believing when everyone else around him did not. Like Noah, sometimes, we too have to exercise faith when no one else is believing with us. It’s a faith that stands alone. But, when you think about it, faith does not need a crowd…it just needs you! Of course it would be nice to have support but then again God answers our faith not because we have support but because we choose to trust Him ourselves even when no one else is standing with us. I think sometimes that’s the kind of faith God loves, a faith that chooses Him instead of choosing others.
    And the beautiful thing about when we choose to trust and have faith in God is that He takes care of us. One of the things that caught my attention is that God shut them into the ark (Genesis 7:16b). God … not Noah and his sons. God made sure that they were safe and secure. It’s the same for us. When we choose to trust God, He will take care of us. I would imagine Noah had built the ark with a doorway that he knew how to close himself. Yet, God was the one who shut them in. Think about it. Noah may have built the ark according to God’s instructions but God was the one who secured it. He made sure that nothing could come in to harm them after He had shut them in. They were safe.
    So, my encouragement to you today is to trust God, have faith in Him no matter how things look, no matter if you have support from others or you don’t. Faith and trust is always between you and your God. And He is quite capable of taking care of you even when life’s greatest storms and challenges come your way. So, just trust Him. He knows, He truly knows.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is faithful and when you put your trust in Him, He will not fail you. In Him, you are safe and secure. Be encouraged.
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    In Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus finds Himself in the region of Tyre and Sidon. There, a Canaanite woman approaches Him and begs for help for her daughter who is demon-possessed. Initially, Jesus seems to ignore her and His disciples beg Him to send her away. When He finally responds, after she persistently cries out to Him, He tells her that He was sent to the lost sheep of Israel. She then kneels before Him begging for His help and He responds that it is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. She replies that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table. Jesus could not help but acknowledge her great faith and granted her request. Her daughter was immediately healed.
    In this brief account, Jesus may initially appear insensitive and uncaring of this Gentile woman’s obvious need. Clearly, she had heard about the miracles Jesus had performed and when He came to her area, she sought the opportunity to seek help for her daughter. The story does not reveal if Jesus did other miracles in that area. But I would like to believe that Jesus went there just for her. Although He told her He was sent to the Jews, His compassion extended even to the Gentiles. 
    It’s a beautiful thought to think that no matter where or who we are, Jesus knows exactly how to get to us. We could be living the worst life, believing that we are beyond help, but God knows exactly how to reach each of us. I don’t think we can ever go so far that God cannot reach us, that He cannot deliver us. Imagine, this woman was not even a Jew but Jesus went to where she was to help her right where she was. She did not have to change address or nationality, He was right there to meet her where she needed Him. And He will do the same for us.
    As I mentioned earlier, it may seem as if Jesus was being insensitive and uncaring. But I don’t believe that that was the case. Maybe He was simply testing her to see how determined she was for His help. Would rejection stop her? Clearly it did not. I think we tend to sometimes give up too easily because we face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. What seems to us like a ‘no’ may just be God testing our faith; testing to see if we would give up or if we would persist. There are times when we would need to exercise a persistent, determined faith. The kind of faith that interprets a ‘no’ to mean keep going, keep trusting, DON’T GIVE UP! Because that’s what Jesus was essentially telling the woman, “no.” And she heard that “no” and simply chose to ignore it. She wasn’t going to give up, she was going to keep pressing. She wasn’t going to leave Him until He had granted her request. 
    Sometimes that’s what we have to do. We have to keep pressing, keep trusting until the answer comes. Sometimes we “press” through prayer. Sometimes we “press” through praise and thanksgiving, thanking God before the answer comes.
    She was not insulted when Jesus seemed to compare her to a dog. In fact, she argued that even the dogs ate the crumbs that fell from their master’s table. For her, she did not need a full plate of food. The crumbs were sufficient. The crumbs were as powerful as an entire plate of food! No wonder why Jesus told her she had “great faith!” She knew the little or much Jesus gave her would be more than enough! That’s the kind of faith we need to have. A persistent, determined faith that knows that simply eating crumbs or even touching the edge of Jesus’ clothes would be more than enough to do the job! Because after all, it was never about the crumbs or the food or the edge of His clothes, it was about HIM, the One with the power and authority and ability to give us the deliverance we need!
    So, no matter how great or high your mountain seems, it’s not bigger than or more powerful than your God. God is more than able and He is more than willing to do what He says He can do. So don’t give up, keep pressing, because God will come through for you.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God loves you and truly desires to help you. He wants what is best for you and when you keep pressing and keep trusting Him, He will make a way for you. Be encouraged.

    In Mark 5:21-43, Jairus, a synagogue ruler, went to Jesus for help. His daughter was sick and hearing that Jesus was in town, he went to Him and begged Him to come to his home and lay hands on her so that she would be well. On their way to his home, Jesus stopped to address a woman with an issue of blood who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had touched the edge of his clothes and been instantly healed. By the time Jesus was finished, servants from Jairus’ home came and told him not to bother Jesus anymore because his daughter had died. Jesus in turn told Jairus to simply believe. At Jairus’ home, the mourners there mocked Jesus because He had declared that the girl was not dead but sleeping. Jesus then put everyone out, except for her parents and three of His disciples. He then held the little girl by her hand and commanded her to get up. When she did, he instructed her parents to give her something to eat. 
    A few things come to my mind. One, Jairus’ faith. Jairus had obviously heard about Jesus and the miracles He had performed. When he realised that Jesus was in town, he instantly went to Him expecting that He could heal his daughter. The good thing is that Jairus knew exactly who to go to when he needed help. Many times, we too, know exactly who to go to when we need help. We may turn to others for help or support, but at the end of the day, as God’s children, we know to run to God when we are facing dire situations. It’s about having faith in a God that we know is able to do impossible things. 
    Two, on their way to Jairus’ home, a distraction came up. Many people were pressing against Jesus as He passed by, eager, I am sure, to connect with Him and to receive healing or deliverance. Yet, for some reason, Jesus chose to stop to address that one woman with the issue of blood. He could have left it alone but He chose to stop, possibly preventing Him from reaching Jairus’ daughter on time.
    God does not always work with our timing. I am sure Jairus was impatient and anxious. After all, he knew how seriously ill his daughter was. But, guess what? Jesus knew it too…and He knew that everything was going to be alright. He knew that He was going to get to Jairus’ daughter in time, even if it was not Jairus’ time. It’s the same with us. We would like at times if God would move a little faster. After all, our situation seems serious enough to warrant a speedier response from God. But God’s timing is always perfect. 
    Three, Jairus had to truly trust Jesus. When his daughter was ill, faith was easy to feel. But, when she died, his faith must have vanished. Maybe that’s why Jesus told him to not be afraid but to simply believe. Jesus had to let him know that his faith did not stop at death. It did not stop when the situation had become totally impossible. I believe that at this point, Jairus had to move beyond faith to trust. He had to trust Jesus to still come through for his daughter even when others laughed in disbelief. He had to choose to believe even though it did not make sense. I think that’s more than belief. That’s trust. Trust that God would still come through. 
    Similarly for us, there will be times when faith is easy. Then there will be times when faith is downright impossible. I think that’s when we have to choose to trust the God that we know, the God who knows best and will not fail us. It’s about relationship at this point. It goes far beyond trusting in “a God” and choosing to believe in “your God” who has a  personal and intimate interest in you! And if He says He will never fail you, then that speaks of someone who deeply loves you and will never do anything to hurt you or destroy you. He loves you enough to do what’s best…His way. Be encouraged.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God loves you so completely. He will never do anything to hurt or stress you out. You just have to trust His timing, trust His way of doing things and know that your best interest will always be His greatest desire.