27 October | Youth
«So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.» Romans 10:17
Do you remember Jesus’ encounter with the man that was born blind, in the temple, after he was healed? “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is He, Lord, that I should believe in Him?” Faith is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Syrophoenician woman had serious obstacles to relate to Jesus. But nothing could intimidate her. Not even the Lord's apparent indifference. The woman had heard that He was full of tenderness, consideration and kindness in dealing with those who suffered. Therefore, nothing would shake her conviction. Jesus told her that the bread was for the children and not for the dogs under the owner's table. I think the woman understood that she did not need to eat crumbs, because she was the Owner's daughter. All she wanted was to eat the Bread of Heaven.
Grace is like receiving a Ferrari as a gift. Hardly anyone would give you something so valuable. But, if that happened, perhaps you would have a small dimension of what God's infinite grace is. Faith, in turn, is getting into a Ferrari and driving. More than that, faith is the fuel that makes the “car” move. Maybe you are thinking, “Here is the problem. I am running on empty!”
There is no magic formula; the solution to the lack of fuel is at the gas station. Go ahead, Faith Station is open 24 hours a day! And the good news is that you are the gas station owner's son! And where is this station? “Faith comes […] by the word of Christ.” Spend time with Him, meditating on His Word. Read and study the Bible. Stand firm on what is written there and not on your feelings.
The courageous initiative of the Syrophoenician woman shows us the only way to achieve this: we have to trust! We will never know what God is capable of doing in our lives until we develop an intimate, engaging friendship with Him. Get to know Him well enough to trust Him fully.