Service of PMPPKN (Indonesian Christian Student and Youth Fellowship)was held again on Monday, September 25, 2020. The service was live-streamed through Facebook (PMPPK Nasional) and Instagram (Zona Anak Tuhan). The Word of God was delivered by Christin Hutabarat and Taurina, taken from Isaiah 43:16-19 and Matthew 15:21-28.
Isaiah 43:16-19 (NKJV) “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a newthing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
In the new normal situations like these, we have limitations to do our activities. We cannot go to school or campus, but we have to study online. Maybe our parents were laid off from their jobs. We start worrying about the changing situations and we often think that we are alone. It’s the same with sins, we don’t know the way out of our sins.
Our life is like a war and our enemy is the devil that makes us afraid, worry, feel alone and intimidated.Oftentimes, we feel condemned and intimidated by our sins. We think that God has left us and it seems that there is no hope. However, the Word of God says that God will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. This seems to be impossible, but God will make miracles in our lives. We have to believe that there is victory in Jesus. God will banish and defeat our enemy.
The preaching of the Word of God was continued by Taurina. She delivered the Word of God from Matthew 15:21-28 (NKJV) ”Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us. ”But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ”Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. ”Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
This Word of God tells us about a Canaanite woman whose daughter was possessed by demon. She came to the Lord, begging compassion from Jesus. She knew that it was only God that could heal her daughter. However, Jesus did not answer her directly. This doesn’t mean that Jesus did not want to answer her, but Jesus wanted to tell something that this woman probably had not understood.
Likewise with our lives, oftentimes we don’t understand God’s will for us or there are struggles that we have been praying for and we feel that God does not answer our prayers. However, it’s not that God does not want to answer our prayers, but God wants to talk to us so that we will not give up, but our faith is tested and revived to believe in God. We learn not to give up easily from this Canaanite woman. Nothing is impossible for God and His promises never fail.
