Justify your inclusion

When I was little, during inter-schools sports competition, there were training sessions that were aimed at selecting the best people for each activity. These sessions are usually named “Justify your inclusion.” I realized that for the ‘Justify your inclusion’ training sessions, the players give out their best and try as much as possible to please their coaches. Similarly, every interview is an opportunity for the applicant to justify their inclusion. Each person who is invited for an interview puts up their best to make an impression. In the Bible, a Greek woman proved to Jesus that although she wasn’t a Jew, she had good justifiable reasons to benefit from the miracles of Jesus.

“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:28‬)‬‬

Jesus went to the vicinity of Tyre and a Greek woman who heard about Jesus’ presence came to present a petition. This woman’s little daughter, possessed by an impure spirit, came and fell at Jesus’s feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter (‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:25‭-‬26‬). This was Jesus’ response to her; “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”‭‭ (Mark‬ ‭7:27‬). The woman’s reply was this, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”‭‭ (Mark‬ ‭7:28‬). Jesus, shocked by her reply said “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone (Mark‬ ‭7:29‭-‬30‬). What lessons can we learn from this story?

Do not be quick to anger: My first impression after reading this story for the first time was this: “Did Jesus compare the miracle performed for non-Jews to tossing the children’s bread to the dog?” Infact, I had to pause and reread a couple of times to make sense of it. Imagine the woman who received the message at first hand, she understood the implications of this message but she wasn’t perturbed. She wasn’t angry, she didn’t show signs of feeling rejected. All she did was to justify her inclusion in the miracles of Jesus. How we deal with very sensitive matters can worsen the case or calm nerves. If the Syrophoenician woman had replied in anger, her daughter’s case would have remained the same. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19:11‬ ‭state that “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” The woman wasn’t offended at all and the result was that her patience led to her receiving her miracle.

Give reasonable reply: Imagine if you were the one Jesus told, “First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”‭‭ What would have been your response? I think I might not have been so reasonable as the Syrophoenician woman. Sometimes, the best we can do to mitigate any situation is to give a reasonable reply not with malice intent. The woman’s reply, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” was a perfect response. Jesus amazed by her response told her “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”‭‭ (Mark‬ ‭7:29‬). Suddenly, the woman’s daughter received a miracle. ‭‭Mark‬ 7:30‬ states that when the woman went home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Your faith should depend on Jesus not what you see: “What you see is what you get” in computing means the display on the screen is what you get in print. This is good enough for computing language but not for a believer. Faith teaches us that you don’t need to see it to get it. You just need to have the assurance of what your heart and spirit yearn for. The woman’s faith from the recovery of her daughter was in Jesus not any other thing. Irrespective of what she heard from Jesus, she still knew that Jesus had the power to make her daughter well. She saw a hesitant miracle worker but her faith was over Jesus’ hesitation. She saw discrimination based on nationality but her faith was in Jesus. She heard the allusion to children and dogs but her faith was in Jesus. Sometimes, when we hear certain information, our faith dies totally. We fail to believe that Jesus is the Lord over everything. You might be seeing a fragile body but the Bible says, we are healed by His stripes. Your account might be empty but scripture reminds us that Jesus became poor so we might be rich. What you see now is not your situation. Put faith over fear and rise above your worries because you are a child of God.

Submit to the Lord always: What do you do if your wil do not align to God’s will? The answer is, “You submit to the will of God.” We don’t submit when it favours us alone. We have to submit all the time whether it favours us or not. We learn from the Syrophoenician woman that submission to the Lord is an important aspect of our faith journey. She submitted to Jesus’ Lordship, authority and power. When Jesus told her to go because the demon had left her daughter, she didn’t argue and she didn’t ask for a sign. She just did as she was told and her daughter was well by the time she got home. The miracle meant for the children was passed on to the Gentiles because the woman justified her inclusion through her submission.

Jesus is still in the miracle business but He doesn’t work on our terms. As you trust Him to change your life, be willing to stay under His feet in all humility as you await your elevation. May God help us.

Dealing with life’s challenges

There is a quote that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. What if life gives you so much lemons than your capacity to make lemonade of that value? Challenges are an inevitable part of life and we face diverse challenges in different ways. At the time of the challenges, it almost always feel like it shall consume you but after you come through, you learn valuable lessons that help you succeed in other areas of your life. How do you navigate challenges that you cannot control? What if you got to know that God is so proud of you that He had a challenge with Satan that no matter the arrows Satan throws at you, you shall be able to stand? In the Bible Job went through a similar challenge because God recommended him to Satan and even allowed Satan to attack all that Job had. This conversation was unknown to Job and his family. Back on earth, calamity upon calamity befell Job and he moved from a rich influential man to a poor miserable sick man (read Job 1-2).

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”‭‭ (Job‬ ‭2:9‬)

In these difficult times, Job’s wife came up with a ridiculous suggestion. She said to Job, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”‭‭ (Job‬ ‭2:9‬‬‬). Before you condemn her for loose words, remember she had lost everything including all her children. She spoke from a position of extreme pain. Job on the other hand replied to her, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (‭‭Job‬ ‭2:10‬). How do we deal with the challenges of life while still maintaining our integrity before God? Let’s consider some few lessons:

Understand that life is spiritual: When we perceive life just as we see it and approach it, we miss the spiritual dimension of it. We are spirit-beings living in a body. We need to know that if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:4). That is why it is an error to feed your natural body and starve your spiritual body. Our relationship with God is all-encompassing but we connect with Him in the spiritual realm. It is important for us to build a relationship that allows us access to speak to God and hear Him. No one on this planet is without a spiritual connection. Even those who claim not to believe in anything are controlled by the dark spirits that have blinded their minds from the truth. Job was on earth trying to be a better person, but in the spiritual realm, his name was mentioned and transactions took place on his behalf. Just as God is meticulous about his own, Satan doesn’t waste his time on those who are already his. Satan’s focus is to make life difficult for those who trust in God. Don’t leave your life anyhow. Be involved with God just as He seeks to be involved with you. Our Advocate the Holy Spirit should be your daily partner. Speak with Him, relate to Him and hear Him guide you on what to do.

Trust in God: In the midst of challenging situations, we need to be grounded in God. We need to trust Him to bring us out of the mess. Trusting in God is not a passive initiative. When we claim to trust Him, our lifestyle should demonstrate it. For Job’s wife, she was so overwhelmed by her situation that her solution was to curse God and die. That is not trust. On the other hand, her husband Job kept his integrity and did not sin in what he said. ‭‭Proverbs 3:5-‬6‬ states that “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Trust comes with obedience and submission. For Job, he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him!‭‭” (Job‬ ‭13:15‭-‬16‬). Indeed, after hoping and trusting in God, Job received his deliverance.

Consistency: Job’s wife might have been a lover of God prior to all the calamities that befell them. She would have loved, honoured and served God together with her husband. However, the magnitude of her predicament caused her to lose faith. She wasn’t an evil woman per se. She was around Job in all his struggles and she saw him move from grace to grass. What was missing was her consistency in her relationship with God. She was so overwhelmed with pain, grief and suffering that she thought death would be a better solution. Her husband had a different position. Job was consistent in his unwavering faith. He knew that his redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth (‭‭Job‬ ‭19:25‬). Those who are inconsistent with their faith in God are like infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians‬ ‭4:14‬).

Have a support system/ Burden bearers: The challenge of Job and his wife was that in the time of their pain and grief, the friends they trusted in all turned against them. After mourning with Job for seven days, Job’s friends accused him of reaping from his sins and admonished him to repent. Instead of helping Job bear his burden, they rather heaped on him more pain. Job could not believe that his comforters rather became his accusers. In Job‬ ‭16:2‬, Job said this: “I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you!” Are there times we become miserable comforters? Have you gone to accuse someone in pain other than comfort them? For example, blaming a Christian couple who are childless for their evil lifestyles as youths even when you don’t know their story. Instead of opening our mouth to spew more pain, it is better to keep quiet. Every believer needs a support system or burden bearers, these are men and women who will stand in the gap with you in prayer, in comfort and in faith. It is advisable to pray before choosing anyone as a burden bearer. Be ready to also bear with them in their own struggles.

The challenges of Job and his family teaches us that life can be messy sometimes. However, instead of running away from God in the midst of pain, we should cast our burdens on Him and trust Him to pull us out. Remember, Jesus was in the boat with His disciples but they still encountered a storm. It was when they called Jesus into the situation that He calmed the storm for them. Don’t allow the storm to rage on before you Call on Him. Call Him in the morning, call Him in the afternoon, call Him in the evening and at night. Our Redeemer lives!

Life-changing requests

The story of Queen Esther in the Bible is a reminder that favour can open doors that are closed. Esther, also known as Hadassah, arose to the position of a queen spearheaded by favour from multiple directions. As a Queen, she was faced with a life-threatening demand that put her life and that of her people in jeopardy. This desire of Haman to kill all the Jews caused fear and panic among the Jews all over the provinces of King Xerxes. Esther, being a queen and a Jew was called upon to save her people. However, Esther was in a delima; “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”‭‭ (Esther‬ ‭4:11‬). Esther needed access to the king to present her petition. How did Esther navigate this and what lessons can we learn from this story?

Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
(Esther‬ ‭5:3‬)

Trust in God: Although the book of Esther does not explicitly mention the name of God, we see the hand of God at work in different ways to bring deliverance. Esther’s approach to going before the king without a summons was to declare a fast; “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” ‭‭(Esther‬ ‭4:16‬). This spiritual exercise declared their faith in the Supreme God to help Esther receive positive feedback from the king. Esther and the Jews understood that “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.‭‭” (Proverbs‬ ‭21:1‬). By trusting in God, Esther and the Jews declared God as their ultimate source of help.

Present yourself appropriately before the king: After Esther and the Jews had spent three days interceding for Esther to have favour before the king, she went to the king to present her case. ‭‭Esther‬ 5:1‬ states that “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.” Remember, Esther did not change the dress code because they had fasted. She was in her royal robes and was dressed for the occasion. She wasn’t in sack clothes demonstrating her sadness. She was ready to catch the attention of the king. When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. (‭‭Esther‬ ‭5:2‬). Irrespective of the challenges we face in life, our self presentation should not be affected. One of the things I learnt from Jesus’ teaching on fasting is our physical outlook when we are waiting upon the Lord. In ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:16‭-‬18‬ Jesus said, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” God is not interested in seeing us look decrepit. We should not look like our painful circumstance, we should present ourselves to confuse the situation.

Present your case in the most appropriate manner: How we present our petition can make or unmake our needs. Esther was approved by the king. In ‭‭Esther‬ ‭5:2‬, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Right after, the king asked Esther for her request. It was obvious that Esther risked her life for something important. You would have expected Esther to tell the king her request but no. She did something different.
“Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.” ‭‭(Esther‬ ‭5:3‭-‬4‬).
A banquet with the king was Esther’s request. Even after the first banquet, Esther still knew the time was not yet ready so she invited the king and Haman to another banquet the next day. What happened between the first and second banquet was that Mordecai was delivered and exonerated from a wicked death plot. On the night of the second day of the banquet when the king was drinking wine, he asked again; “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”‭‭ (Esther‬ ‭7:2‬). Esther knew that it was time and she carefully presented her petition;
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” (‭‭Esther‬ ‭7:3‭-‬4‬).

Boldness: Esther had built up her petition from a lowly non-presumptive manner. First, she went to the king in all her glory. Second she invited the king and the man who had plotted the death of the Jews for a 2-day feast. Third she mentioned her request that her life and that of her people were in danger. At this point, after being treated to these amazing dinners and drinks, the king was furious that anybody could even think of hurting his beautiful queen. King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” (‭‭Esther‬ ‭7:5‬). Esther did not mince words. She came out boldly and declared: “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” (Esther 7:6). At this, Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Esther was not given to fear, she knew that if she misses the opportunity to make things right, her people will be in trouble and she might likely not be spared. She knew that per the message of Mordecai to her, if she remained silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but she and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that God favoured Esther above all other maidens to this royal position for such a time as this to rescue the Jews (‭‭Esther‬ ‭4:14‬).

At that moment, the petition was overturned and the Jews were empowered to defend themselves against their enemies. Haman and his entire family faced a bitter judgement: they perished in place of the Jews. Esther was favoured by the king but the deliverance of the Jews demanded that Esther and the Jews work together to overthrow the wicked plans of Haman. Favour took Esther to the palace but to succeed, she needed great grace and the wisdom of God.