It’s Not Always What It Seems

Have you ever been talking with someone who wasn’t really responding? You were pouring out your heart, but they just weren’t interested in what you had to say.

That appeared to be the case for the woman in Mark 7 who begged Jesus for help. She was a Gentile who approached Him with a great need. She wanted Him to deliver her daughter from the power of demons.

But Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs” (verse 27 NLT).

Jesus knew this woman had amazing faith and wanted to draw it out. He wanted to put it on display. So He put up a hurdle of sorts.

And sure enough, she cleared it. With amazing faith, she answered, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates” (verse 28 NLT).

Sometimes it might seem as though God isn’t listening to us, but He always is. He’s paying attention. I know the hardest response to accept is no response at all. But something may be going on behind the scenes.

Have you ever prayed for something again and again and wondered why your prayer wasn’t answered in the affirmative? Maybe there’s a spiritual battle raging that you know nothing about. We find a fascinating story in Daniel 10 about a mighty angel who appeared before the prophet Daniel.

The angel told Daniel that God heard his prayer, and he was on his way from Heaven with the answer. But “for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me” (verse 13 NLT).

Remember this: God’s delays are not necessarily His denials. So keep praying.