Matthew 15:34
   Why did Jesus need food in order to perform this miracle? This is the question that will occur to an inquisitive mind. To answer this one must remember the fundamental cause and purpose of miracles. Miracles always accompany an outpouring of revelation from God. They confirm the Word. They validate the fact that it is from God. They do not, however, serve as proof for God. God does not prove himself. He reveals himself as he will. He does not argue people into believing in him. He obligates people to believe in him. This is an important concept to remember in our day. We don’t see a lot of miracles. One would think that God would do more miracles to prove himself to the modern, scientific mind. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t because that is not his will. He has never proven himself by miracles. He has always validated his Word by miracles.
   In light of this, we can see that Jesus did the most appropriate thing he could do by using existing food to feed the vast multitude. He used this starting amount to illustrate that all food comes from God anyway. Multiplying it is not really that much more amazing than making it all to begin with. He is the Creator. Also, this brought glory to the Father, which Jesus did often. Thanking the Father for the food implied that he was the source of all blessing, and food. Finally, it served as an illustration to the disciples. They saw that it is important to thank God for food, no matter how that food may be provided.

Bible Reading: Psalm 114:1-118:29

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:3 “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are gracious and merciful to us. You give us so much more than we deserve. Thank You for the wisdom we find in Your Word. You are wise, and You give us what we need to know for life. May we always look to You for the answers to the big questions of life. You truly have all the answers. Thank You for Jesus Christ, Your precious Son. He is a constant blessing to me! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having trouble breathing. Pray for two families that just lost loved ones. Pray for a woman with cancer, and her husband who is carrying for her.

Journal Entry #13289

Matthew 15:33
   Sometimes we can be so slow to believe! The disciples could have easily thought back to the feeding of the five thousand that occurred not long before. But, alas, they were like us, slow to believe. It is easy to get caught up in our attempt to solve a problem, and forget that God is the great problem Solver.

Bible Reading: Psalm 108:1-113:9

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:3 “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for all that You do in our lives each day. We take so much for granted. Though we miss it when it is gone we forget the good health that You bless us with. We are so quick to want blessings, but slow to give You all the thanks for them. Father, You are patient with us, and that is a blessing too! Thank You for the blessing of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two women awaiting medical testing. Pray for a woman having fluid removed form her heart.

Journal Entry #13288

Matthew 15:32
   One of the most amazing things about Jesus is his tendency to have concern for the least of our concerns. The people gathered there with him were glad to be there, and would probably have happily gone on longer without food. But, Jesus thinks of their basic needs. He is mindful of our frailties. He cares about our livelihood.

Bible Reading: Psalm 106:1-107:43

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:3 “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your care for us. We do not deserve Your love, and yet, You love us so much. We can never truly understand the depth of Your love, but we enjoy trying. You are so naturally good. If something is good, it came from You. If You do something, it is good. You are wonderful! May your name be praised an uplifted every day all over this world. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with stage four cancer. Pray for a family that just lost a loved one.

Journal Entry #13287

Matthew 15:31
   The contrast here between the response of these people and the response of most Jews is quite amazing. Given the region that Jesus was in at the time, those who were healed in these verses were likely largely Gentiles. This explains their praising of the ‘God of Israel,’ which is how they would know Jehovah God. Yet, Jesus’ own people had a tendency to think he was of the devil when he performed great miracles. Even the disciples themselves seemed to be slow about believing in him. The Gentiles had ‘great faith,’ the Jews had the Truth laying before them. Between both things, a great harvest was prepared.

Bible Reading: 103:1-105:45

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:2 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Sundays! Though every day is wonderful, and a blessing from you, Sundays are special. It is nice to have a day set aside to worship You. Thank You for today and every day that you give us. You are so kind! We praise You, but You give us the mouth to do it with. We serve You, but You give us the strength to do it with. We love You, but You give us the grace that brings us to it. You are truly amazing! Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man making a decision about a job. Pray for a man with kidney failure. Pray for a woman who hurt her wrist.

Journal Entry #13286

Matthew 15:30
   In this verse, two very wonderful things must be kept in mind. First, the people who brought the lame, crippled, blind, etc. persons to Christ, did so in a hurry. There was not time to expect the sick to come themselves. They had to be brought. A sense of urgency was paramount. They knew that only Christ could heal in this way, and that they must see him and be near him to be healed. The words here literally say that the sick and disabled persons were thrown down at his feet. This was not done carlessly, but as the result of exhaustion. Some ill ones may have had to be carried quite some distance to reach him, and they never knew when he might move on. They were overcome with a feeling of urgency, and they pushed until they reached him.
   Christians today should have this sense of urgency for the lost. No mountain is too high, and no river is too wide. Only he may save our souls, and only he can heal. We must see him, we must bring the sin-sick world to see him.
   Secondly, the maimed, or crippled, persons who are referred to here are of some interest. Many would deny the divinity of Christ, and yet his miracles make it apparent that he is God. The word here for maimed is the same word that Jesus uses later in Matthew 18:8 to describe one who has lost a hand. Thus, this term may include both those who have injured or disabled limbs, and those who are missing limbs. Imagine a person lying at Jesus’ feet who was missing a foot, or a leg, or an arm. If Jesus can make the blind see, the dead live, and the lame walk, can he not restore a missing limb or digit? Most assuredly, he can, and has.

Bible Reading: Psalm 96:1-102:28

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:2 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are able to do anything You choose. You are all-powerful, and so holy. Thank You for being so amazing to us. You give us the new blessings of each day, and put a fresh song on our hearts. Thank You for greeting me each day with a renewed sense of Your wisdom. I know that You understand everything, and that I can trust You to bring to me the knowledge and wisdom I need to make ti through this life. You are so kind to us! You have made a beautiful plan for our lives, and for our salvation and future. Having Your hope in our hearts makes life worth living. Thank You for this day to serve You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with cancer. Pray for a woman in a coma. Pray for missionaries in South America. Pray for a man who broke his collarbone.

Journal Entry #13285

Matthew 15:29
   This seems to be Jesus’ favorite mode for teaching. He sat down on some high place while the multitudes gathered round to hear. Thus, mush of his teaching was down while he was sitting down. Though we like to emphasize how tired Jesus was, sitting down did help him to speak for longer periods of time. Thus, though it is okay to point out his fatigue, we must not overdo it by failing to remember this fact. It is easier to teach for hours sitting down than it is to stand up the entire time.

Bible Reading: Psalm 90:1-95:11

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:2 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guidance! You are such a blessing to me! You lead in unexpected ways, but You lead the right way. May we always follow Your direction, no matter how, or where, You lead. You are so gracious to be so interested in and involved in our lives. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a preacher who is getting the opportunity to witness to a lot of people this weekend. Pray for a man who is an atheist. Pray for a woman who just had a very serious stroke today. Pray for a job decision.

Journal Entry #13284

Matthew 15:28
   Jesus did not pass out comments such as this one lightly. There were several occasions in which his own disciples lacked this much faith. Thus, his answer to the woman is a great complement. It also shows that Jesus, though focused on the Jews at that time, loves every person in this world.

Bible Reading: Psalm 85:1-89:52

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:2 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being so trustworthy. Faith in You is never misplaced. We can be certain that You will always be faithful. You keep Your promises. You stand by Your Word. Thank You for Your amazing steadfast love for us. You are so holy, so just, so kind. How can we ever thank You enough for just being Who You are? All praise be to You, Father! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman recovering from a broken hip. Pray for an older couple with health issues. Pray for a young couple’s marriage.

Journal Entry #13283

Matthew 15:27
   By the words of this dear lady we are reminded of a simple, yet profound truth. Faith is, by its very nature, complete trust. The woman here continues to trust no matter what Christ might have to say to her, for she did truly trust him with everything. She realized, as we all must, her complete and total dependence upon him. Though he may tell us that our sins are many, we must trust his forgiveness, Though his word shows that we deserve death and hell, we must also trust his grace. Many have failed to have faith, not because they did not believe the message of Christ to be true, but because they did not trust him.

Bible Reading: Psalm 79:1-84:12

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love. We can trust You with everything because You care for us so much. You will do what is best for us, even when we want what is not best for ourselves. You love us that much. Ho amazing it is that You care for us! You are truly wonderful! Your power is only matched by your awesome goodness. You shine like the only light in a very dark room. You are such a comfort! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a n adjusting to a new job. Pray for two men with cancer. Pray for a man recovering from a liver transplant.

Journal Entry #13282

Matthew 15:26
   Jesus has a tendency to say amazing things, and this verse is no less amazing than any other of his sayings. Indeed, when we read it we are amazed that he would say it. We must understand it by remembering a few things. First of all, Jesus knew this woman’s faith. He knew she would not be deterred by this. Secondly, he knew his purpose in being close to Gentile territory, and was staying consistent in that purpose. Third, Jesus wanted everyone, the woman and disciples included, to understand that the healing of Gentiles was a departure from his mission to the Jews. He wanted them to realize that it was a fulfillment of what God had already said about the Messiah being a blessing to the whole world, not just the Jews.

Bible Reading: Psalm 75:1-78:72

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for today, and Your blessings upon us. Lord You know Your plan from beginning to end. Help us to trust You as You guide us each day. You always lead us one step at a time. You know what is best, even if we think it would be better another way. Father, You are gracious! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with cancer. Pray for a woman with health issues, and who is out of work. Pray for a man looking for a job. Pray for a woman recovering from hip surgery.

Journal Entry #13281

Matthew 15:25
   Do not miss this verse, it is so important to see what is here. The woman worships, and then requests further. How often do we request, and then worship? We wait for God to answer our petitions, and then we praise him. That is not the right order. Worship must be first and last, not just at last.

Bible Reading: Psalm 71:1-74:23

Scripture Memory: 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being merciful to us. We sometimes forget entirely to worship You as we should and just bring You problem after problem. You are worthy of our every praise. If we could praise You all day for two thousand years, we would not even be started into the fullness of Your majesty before we would be done. You are so great! Thank You for letting us know You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with cancer. Pray for a man with kidney failure. Pray for a man with cancer.

Journal Entry #13280