Pressing Into The Now!

There’s this woman in the bible I visit periodically.  She’s known as the syrophoenician woman, a Canaanite.  I like this lady; there's more to her than what meets the eye.

This lady had a dilemma, and she needed help, she needed results and she needed it now. You see she had a daughter and her daughter was demon possessed. Not just demon possessed but severely demon-possessed.  One day this woman, heard about a man, a man name Jesus that was healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons.   And she traveled to where he was.   She cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy of me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.

But Jesus answered her not a word. But that didn’t deter her one iota she continued crying out so much so until his disciples became annoyed and urged Jesus to send her away.  He tells his disciple “I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel” in other words I’ve been sent to my own.

You see the Gentile dispensation had not yet occurred because Jesus had not yet died, so her timing was off, she was asking out of time (Selah).  We as earthly beings understand time as 24 hours in a day, weeks, months, years, seasons, etc.  But this tenacious woman unrelenting cries out to Jesus despite the time. She fell at his feet and worshiped Him. And began saying, “Lord, help me.” (I can hear her as she repeats these words), Lord, help me, Lord, help me.  Have you ever been there?  A powerful three-word prayer.

Jesus goes on to say, “It’s not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”  In other words, I’ve come at this time to restore my own, to bless my own.  You are a non-Jew; this window of time has been allotted for the Jewish people.

This woman remains steadfast as she continues to press in.  She had a need, her daughter was in trouble and she heard Jesus was delivering, and she was determined (as was Jacob) I can’t let you go till you bless me.  I can’t let you leave without helping me.  She persevered saying, “Yes Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs, which fall from their master’s table”. Yes Lord, I know I’m a heathen, a non-Jew, a syrophoenician, so "I’ll take the crumbs". 

Oh my goodness! Jesus could not deny, resist or refuse this woman, it was her faith, her faith I tell you!  Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith!  She presses through the natural realm and reaches for a miracle outside of the time zone that we’ve become accustomed to.  She agreed, it’s not my time, but I can’t wait, I need what I need now.

The bible says Jesus came to his own and his own received him not.  And here was this non-Jewish woman full of faith, believing in Him, worshipping Him despite the time, regardless of being ignored, even refused.  She knew Jesus was her only answer her tedious faith and willingness to press in was the key to her daughter's healing.  Her faith caused eternity to invade time. 

We often hear the saying I'm serving time, buying time, it's a matter of time, in due time, but I believe it’s High Time and Now Time that we like this Syrophencian woman reach for the miracles.  Miracles for our individual lives, the lives of our families, our generation, & our country!  Time to pull down the Now miracles of God that’s awaiting our faith!

I’ll close with this powerful statement I heard Benny Henn share, he said “How can we (born again children of God, now under the gentile/grace-dispensation) reject what’s freely ours, when this woman refused to reject what was not hers”. In the natural realm it was not her time, but her faith caused eternity to invade time and her request was granted and her need meet.