An Encounter With Jesusಮಾದರಿ

Day 4: Pursuing Encounter

An encounter with Jesus is so powerful, and He truly wants to give it to us, but, friend, He never wants to force us into anything. It is our choice to accept or reject His offer, so if we want it, we have to pursue it, just like the woman in today’s reading. She was a Canaanite, meaning she was considered an enemy of the Jews, but her daughter needed healing, so she was going to get it from Jesus, no matter what barriers were in her way.

When she cried after Him, begging for mercy, He ignored her, and His disciples started wanting to send her away. In that moment, she could have just given up, and no one would have blamed her, but she didn’t! She kept following Him and crying out to Him to heal her daughter.

When Jesus finally spoke to her, He told her, “I’m sorry, but I was sent to the Israelites, not the Canaanites. It just doesn’t make sense to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Anyone else might have been crushed, but this woman knew what she wanted, and she knew where she was going to get it from. She told Him, “If you’re calling healing ‘bread,’ then I don’t want to steal someone else’s bread, and I know I’m considered as low as a dog in this culture, but even dogs get little crumbs. I don’t need the whole loaf, Lord, just a crumb.”

Jesus was so impressed by her answer that He said her request would be answered right away, and just like He said, her daughter was freed from that evil spirit! Now, that encounter, that miracle, would not have happened if that woman had given up and just waited around for it. No! She got her encounter because she fought for it.

She used every part of her being in her pursuit. She followed after Him with her body, crying out at the top of her voice. She bowed before Him and worshiped from her spirit. She even used her clever mind, forming the beautiful response that got her the healing bread she was looking for.

Jesus wants to have an encounter with us, friend, and when we push through the barriers in our way and pursue Him with every part of ourselves, we will receive that encounter we’ve been searching for.

For Your Consideration

• Are you desperate for an encounter, or do you only ask for it passively? Ask the Holy Spirit to give you that desire as you need.
• What are some barriers to your encounter that you can fight through? What are some barriers you need to leave to God?