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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is crumbs and abundance. Crumbs are very tiny pieces of food and abundance is a very large quantity of something. The theme “crumbs and abundance” connotes moving from a state of scarcity to a state of overwhelming plentifulness. In a non-material sense or from a spiritual point of view, crumbs and abundance mean moving from a state of helplessness to a state of victory and joy. Jesus delivered the daughter of a Canaanite woman from demonic attack or oppression. Before Jesus delivered the woman’s child from the demonic attack, He had a conversation with her to test her faith. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:24-27) The woman’s answer impressed Jesus and indeed demonstrated her faith in Him. Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:28)

Beloved in the Lord, Jesus is able to turn our crumbs into abundance only if we persist in faith and do not give up. The Canaanite woman could have given up in despair or in her frustration and walked away from Jesus when He told her “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” …“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:24,26). But the woman refused to walk away, indeed “she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me. (Matthew 15:25). Beloved in the Lord, many of us would have truly walked away helplessly. Many of us easily give up when we are faced with obstacles and frustration in our lives. It is important to note that the bridge between crumbs and abundance is our persevering faith in Christ Jesus. Because of our lack of persevering faith, many Christians have normalised failure and retrogression in their lives. Many of us have accepted our barren situation and no longer pray about it. Some of us have stopped looking for jobs because we have settled for the crumbs life has thrown at us. Again, some of us have stopped praying for a breakthrough because we think we have prayed and prayed and yet the answer is not forthcoming so we have settled for the crumbs or whatever life has thrown at us. The Canaanite woman demonstrated her persevering faith in Jesus when she said “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) In other words, the dogs will never go hungry when the Master is at the table! Beloved in the Lord, so long as Jesus is in our lives, you shall not go empty-handed, we may start with the crumps but we shall surely end in abundance. He is our master and shepherd, therefore David will say “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.³ He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalms 23:1-3).

Beloved in the Lord, persevering faith moves us from a state of crumbs to abundance. Hannah was in a state of crumbs when she was barren. She did not allow her long years of barrenness and the frustration from society to stop her from praying for her breakthrough and abundance. We are told that “Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. (1 Samuel 1:6) Indeed, Eli, the man of God could not even understand Hannah’s level of frustration, persistence and persevering faith through prayer, hence, one day when Hannah came to pray as usual, Eli thought she was drunk. “As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” ¹⁵ “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” ¹⁷ Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him. ” (1 Samuel 1:12-17). Beloved in the Lord, negativity from family and friends can cause you to give up when you are persevering in faith. Like the Canaanite woman, Hannah would not listen to anything but persevere in faith and look up to the Lord. If you want to listen to what people are saying about your predicament and follow them then you will be stuck with the crumbs life throws at you but if you will persist in faith amidst the negativities, betrayals and disappointments, your current test shall turn into your testimony. Our faith is not meant to settle for crumbs, it is meant to keep us resilient in the face of surmountable challenges even as we pray for abundance and breakthrough in our lives. Many of us are settling for the droplets coming out of the tap but only if we shall persevere in faith and prayer and give it the best of our effort, we shall turn that tightly closed tap and the droplet of water shall turn into abundant flow of water.

Dear friend, It is important to note that our human strength and efforts are weak or feeble and inadequate. We need faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to keep us going, it is for this reason Paul assures us that “I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13). So long as Christ is your strength, you shall surmount that obstacle in your life and will move away from the crumbs into a state of abundance for “.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). This same Jesus who delivered the Canaanite woman’s daughter from a demonic attack, healed and fed the multitudes in Matthew 15:21-39, is still in the miracle business. Dear friend, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23) Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, in the midst of discouragements and frustrations, strengthen our faith to persevere to the end through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Amen.