‘Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.’ (John 11:39, NLT)
Mary and Martha were two sisters who lived with their brother Lazarus. All three had a relationship with Jesus. So when Lazarus became ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus. They asked Jesus to come and see about his dear friend. Jesus did not go. Lazarus died. When GOD Has a POINT to MAKE . . .
What was Jesus doing that He could not go to Lazarus? Why didn’t He drop everything and go and heal him? An even better question is, Why didn’t Jesus just speak and heal Lazarus without traveling to Bethany?
Image 2*
After all, this would not have been his first miracle. He had changed the water into wine at the wedding; cast out demonic spirits; healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law; fed the five thousand; healed the centurion’s servant without even going to the servant’s location and the list goes on. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/what-miracles-did-jesus-perform.html
What was so special about Lazarus that Jesus allowed him to die?
The If Only . . . Guilt Trap
‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Both Mary and Martha made this statement to Jesus. Did they really know that Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been there? How many times do we say or hear, ‘If only . . .’?
One of the prayer warriors on the God Has Spoken Ministry (GHSM) team said that the devil will try to make him think ‘that a person would not have died if only he had prayed harder or longer.’ If only can become an issue for families when relatives get in trouble. The relative will blame the family member (many times a parent) for his or her trouble. Saying, I would not have committed the crime or bad behavior if only you had given me the money or done what I needed you to do. Never mind that the relative has done or given to the point where he or she is now in debt. Forget the fact that the prayer warrior rises at a certain time to pray and prays throughout the day, (has a spirit of prayer). And what about the cheating spouse? What is his or her if only? JESUS did not fall into the If Only . . . Guilt Trap!
Stop Limiting God
Once Lazarus died, his sisters and those who were attending to them did not believe that Jesus had the power to heal Lazarus. You know why? Jesus did not do it immediately. He allowed their brother to die. There was no question that he was dead. Lazarus’ body was in the grave when Jesus arrived in Bethany. Both Mary and Martha failed to see Jesus as the God of the now. What did Martha say when Jesus told them to open the grave? ‘Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.’
Can you continue to trust God even when it appears that things are not working out for you? Are you close enough to God to see His delayed response or lack of response as an opportunity for Him to act on your behalf?
Big Mistake
One of the greatest mistakes that a believer can make is trying to impose his or her thinking upon God. Today is the day to stop second guessing God. In Isaiah 55:8 & 9, God reminds us, My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (NLT) https://www.gotquestions.org/my-thoughts-are-higher-than-your-thoughts.html
When GOD Has a POINT to MAKE . . .
We should always expect God to ‘be up to something in our lives!’ Our walk with Jesus should be energizing and exciting. Daily when we rise, our confession must be, This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it! Why? Because you never know what God is going to do moment by moment. It is never too late for God to act.
The Challenge
Some of us read a daily devotion with a Scripture or maybe a few Scriptures with a story or explanation. While others look for a catchy phrase with a beautiful image. Today, GHSM is challenging you to begin your own study of the Bible. Move from a vitamin to an actual meal. Why is this important? Because then and only then will you begin to see how wonderful life is when you expect God’s greatness! When you don’t know, you cannot expect. But when you do know, not only should you expect but you should expect with confidence that God is up to something in your life.
Don’t Be Surprised
One of our writers recently went to a conference. On her way home, she saw a lady lying on the floor in distress in the airport. Medical attention had not arrived yet, and her companions were trying to make her comfortable. Just the night before Jill had heard this message preached, Don’t Be Surprised When Your Prayers Are Answered. As she passed the lady, she began to quietly pray, Lord, heal her. God, I expect you to raise her up in the name of Jesus. Please allow her to get on her plane or go to her destination. Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer. Our colleague went into the store and purchased her items. When she stepped out, God had the woman sitting up talking to the medical personnel.
Now Jill could have stayed and watched to see if God would answer her prayer for this woman. Instead, she had confidence in Him. Why? Because our colleague reads the Bible. God’s Word tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, who in their right mind would want to lie on the floor of the airport? Then the Word tells us to pray for one another. Our colleague was following God’s orders.
When GOD Has a POINT to MAKE . . .
We know that God continuously moves on our behalf. This story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead might still have some wondering at Jesus’ delay. Jesus did not want anyone to question whether Lazarus was really dead. He had a point to make. He used His friend to make it.
THE POINT
THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD!
Then Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unwrap him and let him go!’ (John 11:43-44, NLT)
*Image 2: John 11:1-57, Raising Lazarus, A Cartoonist’s Guide to the Bible (cartoonistbible.com) Steve Thomason
God Has Spoken Ministry (GHSM); Celebrating God: The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost!
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