Matthew 15:24
   Jesus was simply stating the facts as they were. Everything he did was in fulfillment of prophecy. His mission at that time was to the Jews. He wanted the disciples, as well as the woman, to understand that, if he helped her, this would be a strange new thing. This did not keep him from helping her, but it was his way of saying, watch what happens closely. If he helps a Gentile that acknowledges him as the Messiah, what does that mean for the unbelieving Jews? Jesus knew what trouble the early church would have with accepting the Gentiles, so he wanted them to understand the change that was taking place here. Jesus was not sent to the Gentiles, but eh Gentiles were coming to him. This was not his first miracle for a Gentile, so his disciples should understand what he is getting across here.

Bible Reading: Psalm 68:1-70:5

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 this wonderful day. You are so good to us. You have blessed us so much. You know just how to lead us and we need Your guidance. We must realize that You are smarter than we are, and that You always know what is best. Thank You for Your wisdom, help us to heed it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman who just broke her hip. Pray for an older couple that has health issues. Pray for a young lady stuck in a bad marriage.

Journal Entry #13279

Matthew 15:23
   This is quite strange for Jesus, ignoring a request for help. However, in our own day, God’s answer may often take some time to come. Jesus was dealing with this faith-filled Gentile the way that God had been dealing with them up to this point. He was not as active among them as among the Jews. Beside this, Jesus knew the faith of this woman, and he knew she would not give up.
   The disciples likely wanted him to help the woman. Though they do not say so in their request, asking him to send her away implies that he would have to satisfy her in some way. They were not going to tell her she could not be helped.

Bible Reading: Psalm 61:1-67:7

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 always knowing what is best for us. You are so loving and kind in this. Many times we think we know just the right timing for Your provision. We depend upon You for a blessing, yet we think we know how to define and direct that blessing. We must depend upon You for all of it, Your way is perfect. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a church that may be without a pastor soon. Pray for a young lady who has a lot of choices to make.

Journal Entry #13278

Matthew 15:22
   The woman likely was an inhabitant of either Tyre or Sidon, over the boarder. She made a special trip to see Jesus. Maybe she was on a journey and modified her itinerary to meet him. Either way, she went out of her way willingly and with purpose. She addresses Christ in a very appropriate and respectful manner. By her words she recognizes the privileges of the Jews, the royalty of Christ, and, by implication, his identity as the Messiah. Beyond all this, she does not presume to ask for anything until she has already asked for his mercy. This is one of the most faith-filled requests Christ heard during his entire ministry.

Bible Reading: Psalm 55:1-60:12

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, make us sensitive to the Truth! It is so great to have Your Word before us with such wonderful examples of how we should live. Thank You for Your provision of that, it is a great mercy on Your part. You must love us so very, very much. It is amazing to think that You love us, but to have such wonderful expressions of Your love all around us, is overwhelming. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man adjusting to a new job. Pray for our government. Pray for Christians who are being persecuted, both here in America, and around the world.

Journal Entry #13277

Matthew 15:21
   This does not mean he actually went to Tyre and Sidon, but that he came close to them, being in towns bordering Phoenicia. This explains how the encounter with the gentile woman comes about.

Bible Reading: Psalm 49:1-54:7

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the strength to face each hurdle in our lives. You are such a help to us. You are the One who makes the sun to shine, physically and spiritually. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man with cancer. Pray for a woman recovering from a broken hip. Pray for a tragic accident.

Journal Entry #13276

Matthew 15:20
   In case there may be those who are concerned about the meaning of this in relation to the spread of disease, rest assured that is not the subject here. Some have dared to think that Jesus was unaware of the fact that disease can spread more easily when food is handled without the proper washing of one’s hands. However, this is totally out in left field and completely off of the subject. Jesus was not making a statement about cleanliness, but holiness. Food does not make people unholy, sin makes people unholy.
   For those who would object on the basis of the Old Testament unclean meats laws, two things must be kept in mind. First, the infraction here is eating with unwashed hands, not eating unclean meats. Secondly, the meats identified as unclean could cause defilement because God commanded the Jews not to eat them, not because the meats themselves were defiled. This is illustrated quite simply. Persons who were handicapped in certain ways were not allowed to serve in the temple. Did this make them somehow less holy? No, as individuals, they were no more or less holy than any others, but Almighty God chose not to let them serve in his temple. The same is true with meats. Pigs may romp in the mud more than sheep, but they both smell funny. Animals are animals. God selected certain animals that he wanted the Jews to eat, and certain animals that he wanted them not to eat. It is about his will, not the fitness of the meat.

Bible Reading: Psalm 44:1-48:14

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us, even when we don’t deserve it. It is amazing how clear You are, and yet how easily we get to thinking that You are keeping us guessing. Your guidance is always perfect. You know just what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. May we never forget how amazing it is that Almighty God takes time with finite humanity. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman in the hospital with cancer. Pray for a woman with health issues. Pray for a man who just had a heart attack.

Journal Entry #13275

Matthew 15:19
   One of the most controversial subjects of scripture is the source of sin. Most people believe that mankind is basically good. Obviously, Jesus is not one of those people. On several occasions Jesus made it quite clear that man is basically evil, morally bankrupt, and otherwise unregenerate. Without some kind of drastic change, the heart of man will do nothing but drag us to hell. Though many may try to hide it, or deny it, this is a basic tenant of the teaching of Christ. As is, man is corrupt.

Bible Reading: Psalm 38:1-43:5

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making a way for us to be saved. Your mercy is such a balm to our souls. This flesh is imperfect and will drag us to perdition without You. Thank You for Your work to redeem us. You are so beneficent! You are so kind! how can we ever thank You enough? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for two older couples who have health issues. Pray for a young mother with migraines.

Journal Entry #13274

Matthew 15:18
   What we say reveals who were are at heart. Even the most hypocritical will, at one time or another, show themselves for who they really are by their speech. The tongue is almost impossible to control sometimes. So, what is deep within, not matter how hard we try to hide it, will come to the surface on occasion. This process is what bring defilement to our lives. The evil that is within us defiles us, not something from outside of us.

Bible Reading: Psalm 35:1-37:40

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness, which You give us in Christ Jesus. You give us hope for living through him. We don’t have to be forever burdened down by our sin. You have lifted htat load by his blood. Thank You for him. You always know just what we need, and he is the best blessing we could ever ask for. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for an elderly woman who will be travelling. Pray for a woman with cancer. Pray for a young woman who has spiritual needs. Pray for an older woman who just broke her hip.

Journal Entry #13273

Matthew 15:17
   Food cannot make a person unholy. Indeed, many things that are thought of as causing defilement really do not. It is more the act of the will that causes defilement. For example, the eating of dirt has, at one time or another, happened to all of us. Whether accidentally or intentionally as a child. This does not make us dirt-eaters. We have not somehow become something evil because of it. And yet, eating dirt is a very bad idea.
   Thus, Jesus is pointing out the source of sin by showing what it is not. Food is purified by our bodies naturally. The thoughts and intentions of our hearts, on the other hand, are not automatically purified.

Bible Reading: Psalm 31:1-34:22

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the clarification that You bring to us through Your Word. We need so much. But, more than anything, we need to know You. Your great holiness seems to make that impossible. So, help us to know Your love, and understand how You make a way for us to know You. We need You like we need nothing else. You are so wonderful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for Wayside Baptist Church. Pray for missionaries all over the world.

Journal Entry #13272

Matthew 15:16
   Jesus wanted his disciples to understand him. This is so wonderful, and so important. Many will give up their study of God very prematurely thinking they will never understand. What a terrible thing! The Lord wants each of us, individually, to understand him. He does not want us to have to depend upon a select few to give us an understanding of who he is. He wants us to have teachers, yes. But, teachers are there to assist and facilitate our understanding, not replace it.

Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-30:12

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for making Your Truth something for all of us. You don’t discriminate against anyone with Your message. You allow all to have the gospel preached to them. No one is too dimwitted or slow for You. you don’t try to hide from those who might misunderstand. You give us what we need to understand You as we should. And, You respond to those who desire to know You with yet more understanding and wisdom. Father, You are gracious to us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young woman who has spiritual needs. Pray for a teen girl to make good choices. Pray for our military and police personnel.

Journal Entry #13271

Matthew 15:15
   It is important to understand what is being asked here. The disciples were still confused about the whole defilement issue. They were asking what Jesus meant in verse 11 about things going into and coming out of a person. The sad thing here is that it wasn’t really a parable. Jesus had fairly plainly stated the fact of the matter. However, because the disciples were still so stuck in the traditional Jewish thinking concerning defilement, they just could not understand how things from outside of a person would not defile a person.

Bible Reading: Psalm 19:1-24:10

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:23 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for family and friends. Your blessings on us so great. It is good to know that You are always aware of where we are and what we are doing. You immediately know if we are in trouble, or if we are crying out to You. It is good to know Someone that can actually do something about any situation. I am glad that You take an interest in us. Thank You for Your blessed intervention and Providential care. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who just took a new job. Pray for a man recovering from a liver transplant. Pray for an older man with cancer.

Journal Entry #13270