We’re often caught off guard by our lack of understanding that the power of faith and persistence can play removing limitations in our lives.  We’ve all heard the old sayings like, “nothing beats a failure bur a try”, “try, try, and try again … .“  President Calvin Coolidge was quoted as saying, "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not ... Genius will not ... Education will not.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."  Wise sayings it would seem to address the issues of personal determination.  But what if the thing that removes the limitations is not persistence alone, but the revelation of faith that accompanies that persistence — especially if that faith is laid out to the person who has both the power and authority to change the limitations for everyone.  And perhaps our failures to remove our limitations lies in the fact that we give up too soon, that we lack the faith to overcome those limitations which lie before us.

         Jesus was clear about his call and his mission — to rescue the lost sheep of Israel.  That was his primary goal and responsibility.  But his broader responsibility was to remove any limitations that prevented people from knowing God loved them.  Enter the Canaanite woman, fraught with fear and anxiety because her daughter was possessed.  Yet, filled with faith that Jesus could change everything, if he would.  And if we’re honest, God has always been willing to alter circumstances for those who have faith, and remove whatever limitations are before them.  God negotiated with Abraham about saving the righteous people in Sodom (Gen. 18:22-33).  And now, Jesus is willing to remove the limitations of faith that the Canaanite woman might receive the mercies of God.  He also did it for the thief on the cross.

         In a world (our world and theirs) where people often draw circles of exclusion around other people God has broadened the circle so that there are no limitations on the access to God’s grace.  This Gentile woman has found her way beyond the limitations of exclusion to become the recipient of God’s grace and mercy.  God’s grace has truly become unlimited even as it extends to you and me.

• What is it like for you when you realize that at one time God’s grace was not available to you, but now — through faith — the limitations of God’s grace no longer exist?
• This limitation was removed as soon as she proclaimed Jesus for who he was. When did you become aware that God’s grace was unlimited for you?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, thank you for removing the limitations of Your grace and allowing the crumbs or Your mercy to fall to those of us who are called Gentile. Because of Your mercy, Your unlimited Grace has saved even me.

         We must first consider the difficulty of what it means to climb the mountain.  The terrain is often difficult.  The footing is often uncertain.  And because it is a mountain, the feet of the climber wore the brunt of the climb.  Nicks, cuts, bumps and bruises would often render one’s feet in horrific shape.  That one would go through all of that trouble to deliver bad or horrific news would not cause the recipient to consider what the climber had to go through.  And if the news to be delivered was bad and disheartening, one might wish that the messenger had never climbed the mountain.  His feet would be considered and aberration — a hoopty in today’s culture — unwelcomed and unwanted.

         Now, flip the script — the same terrain; the same difficulty of the climb; and the same nicks, cuts, bumps and bruises describe the condition of the feet.  Only this time, the message is different.  This time the messenger comes to deliver good news of great joy.  This time the message is filled with grace, forgiveness, rejoicing and salvation to the one stuck on the mountain.  This time the message proclaims that God reigns — and that whatever horrible conditions existed before today — today, the message was so important and refreshing that it was worth it to climb the mountain despite the difficulties.  This time the feet of the messenger are considered beautiful regardless of their physical appearance.  And all rejoiced, both the messenger and the recipient.

         Imagine someone having had to scale a mountain to get away from the horrors of life only to be told that “ … that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:2b)  Is this news too good not to tell.  That is in essence the message that God has given in Jesus Christ.  And if that message is told to all people who are going through some stuff that puts them on the rough side of the mountain, then those of us who bring the message of God’s unconditional love will land in the ‘beautiful feet’ category of messengers regardless of how we look.

• How have you seen good news change the way people perceive others when they have received grace for something they believe they should have been punished for?
• How might people’s experience of us change when they receive the good news that Christ has died for their sins?
• What can we do in telling our story to others so that we’ll have ‘beautiful feet’?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, empower me to share the truth of Your grace in ways that people can handle Your truth, enabling my feet to be beautiful in bearing the good news.

         Societies and cultures have always created rules that exclude certain portions of their culture.  The religious arena is no different.  A eunuch within the Jewish culture, because of their physical transformation, were not allowed to enter the temple courts beyond a certain point.  They didn’t have full access to worship the God in whom they believed and held sacred.  Our culture has done the same thing with Black people previously and the LGBTQ+ community in our present culture.  At times the religious community has taken great pride in keeping certain people outside of God’s acceptance of them because they did not conform to the rules or meet a certain criterion.  And so — even in today’s culture — the religious community has set up barriers to prevent certain people from entering into a full relationship with God until they have ‘cleaned up their act” enough to stand before God righteous and justified.

         Understanding God and God’s word comes because someone has been called to tell the story of God’s truth — that God sent his son into the world that all could, by faith in Jesus Christ — stand before God justified and righteous.  Even those who have previously been excluded from a relationship with God now have access to God by faith without condition.  There are some in our world today who still can’t handle God’s truth

• How has handling God’s truth made it easier for you to accept that all are welcome in God’s kingdom?
• What part of handling God’s truth do you still struggle with?
• What will it take for you to recognize the power of God’s grace and handle God’s truth?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, grant me your grace as I grow to understand and handle Your truth that all people are welcome within Your kingdom.