INTRODUCTION
Mark 7:24-30 recounts the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman (reproduced here from the New King James Version).

24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”  28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”  29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”  30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

You are probably familiar with this famous passage that demonstrates the wisdom, perseverance, and tenacity of a woman who needed the Lord to deliver her daughter from a difficult situation.  Perhaps you also are facing a difficult situation in your life.  Do you need a miracle from the Lord?  I certainly do!  The story of the Syro-Phoenician woman is an encouragement to both of us that God responds to simple faith.

POINT 1: FAITH REQUIRES THE HUMBLE REALIZATION OF OUR NEED
On today and for the next three days, I would like to address four key aspects of faith that are revealed in the text.  First, the Syro-Phoenician woman humbly realized that she needed help.  This may seem like an obvious point, but before we can actually receive help, we must first realize that we need help.  The Syro-Phoenician woman knew in her heart that the Lord Jesus Christ was the only source of deliverance for her daughter.  She probably said to herself, “I don’t need Peter, James or John; this is a job for the Master himself!  I need the Lord to work this one out for me!”  Therefore, she humbly approached the Savior and fell at his feet.  Before we can receive from the Lord, we must first realize that we truly need him.  I encourage you to take a moment right now to express to the Lord how much you need him.  Allow him to minister his love and power to you at this very moment.  Tomorrow, we will examine a second key aspect of faith revealed in the text.
Blessings,
Wilfred Graves Jr.
www.wilfredgraves.org

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