ICS Daily Devotions
God Loves All the Children of the World
Matthew 15:26-28 (NKJV) But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
In the earlier part of this passage, Jesus said that He was sent to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel for that specific time when He was ministering on earth, but this does not mean that He doesn’t love the rest of the people in the world. He said it this way because God had chosen to establish the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenant with the Jews.
Therefore, preaching the gospel, ministering to the sick and the demon possessed, setting free those who were oppressed, ministering to the poor and all the needs of the Jews were the “children’s bread”. It belongs rightfully to them because of their covenant relationship. It was the entitlement of the Jews. This mother in the above passage who was not a Jew, had great faith in God and believed that Jesus would not show partiality. In fact, God loves the people of the world and that’s the objective of the Abrahamic covenant.
The objective is for all the people of the world to be blessed by Jesus’ work of redemption and to be part of God’s family! We are part of God’s family now! He has given us the right to become children of God (John 1:12). The mother who came to seek her daughter’s deliverance was very determined to receive ministry from Jesus even though she wasn’t a Jew.
She reasoned with Jesus when He responded that He was called to the nation of Israel by saying, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Jesus was so impressed with her faith in Him that she received her heart’s desire. Therefore, since we have been given the right to become the children of the living God there are privileges that we can claim which are rightfully ours if the devil tries to hinder us from having them!
For example, being set free from demonic activities like oppression and disturbance in the home is part of our rights as a child of the living God.
Acts 10:38 (NKJV) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Sometimes people feel as though there is a dark cloud hovering over their heads and they feel oppressed. Oppression is definitely the work of the devil. We can either enter into praise and worship to break it with the power of the anointing or we can speak to it to leave us in Jesus’ name. We are to speak to the oppression or the heaviness over our lives to leave in Jesus’ name. We are to ask God to fill us with His joy, love and peace! Oppression doesn’t belong to us. Joy belongs to us. Peace belongs to us. It is part of the abundant life which belongs to both the Jews and the Gentiles.
Sermon Series: Speak to your Mountain
