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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for March 20, 2009
“The Woman Who Would Not Be Discouraged”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
It was Easter Sunday and she was scheduled to be baptized.
Then she told someone, “I can’t do this.”
“What?” they said. “Why can’t you be baptized?”
“I just can’t,” she said. “I feel so unworthy.”
Her voice cracked.
“This is something good people do.”
Do you ever feel that way in church? Like there are all these good people, these nice church people – and then there is you?
Maybe you look around and see the gifted people, the beautiful people – all of God’s darling children. And you just aren’t one of them.
It’s discouraging, isn’t it?
Well let me tell you about a woman in the Bible, an outsider who had many strikes against her, but she would not be discouraged.
The story starts with Jesus, at a time when He withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon with His disciples. He basically wanted to get out of the public eye.
This was strike one against the woman. For whatever reason, at this time Jesus didn’t want to be bothered. That’s why He was there.
Strike two was the fact that she was not a Jew. Jewish teachers didn’t have much to do with Gentiles.
And strike three was that she was a woman. She was a Gentile woman trying to get in to see a Jewish teacher who wasn’t taking appointments.
But she would not be discouraged. She had to get to Jesus, for her daughter’s sake.
So she got loud. If there was a perimeter around Jesus, she would break through with her voice.
“Lord,” she said, “Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
And you know what Jesus said?
Nothing.
Not one word.
Oh He heard her alright. He just didn’t respond.
Have you ever experienced that? It seems like everyone else hears from God but you. You pray and you pray – but nothing? It can lead you to conclude that you just aren’t one of the special ones.
But this woman would not be discouraged.
She kept crying out, anything to get Jesus’ attention, anything to get Him to use His well-known healing power on her daughter.
I guess she cried out to the disciples, too. If she couldn’t get a rise out of Jesus, maybe she could get through to them.
Well it must have gotten on their nerves because they finally said to Jesus, “Please, send her away. She keeps crying out after us.”
And finally Jesus addressed the matter.
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,” He said.
Another strike against her, right? I mean, that’s Jesus Himself basically saying, “Gentile, be gone.”
Would that have been the last straw for you? Would you quit seeking Jesus at that point?
Well not this woman. This actually encouraged her. After the initial silence, to even have Jesus speak on the matter was a breakthrough.
She jumped on the opportunity, came to Jesus face to face and knelt down before Him.
“Lord, help me!” she said.
Did Jesus take her in His arms and make all her problems go away?
No.
It seems like He added to them. He said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
Wow. There are so many ways this woman could have been offended and stomped off in a huff. She could have told everyone how she was hurt by Jesus. She could have walked away from the Lord and taken a bunch of people with her.
But you know what? She knew that her answers were in Jesus. He had what she needed, and she would not be discouraged.
So Jesus said, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” And she replied, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
And finally the fog lifted. The sky cleared. I imagine a stern look lifting from Jesus’ face.
“Woman,” he said, “You have great faith! Your request is granted.”
And Matthew 15:28 says, “…her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
So are you in that fog today? Do you feel unworthy, like God has His chosen people and you aren’t one of them. Does God seem silent and distant?
Well don’t give up! Don’t stop seeking Him! Don’t stop trying to press in, to pray through, to get a hold of God.
Learn from the example of this woman today – the woman who would not be discouraged.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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