Where were you, Jesus?
Have you ever prayed for something and it seemed that nothing was happening, or things just continued to get worse? Or has something bad ever happened, and you wondered where God was?
In John 11:1-44 we hear the story of Lazarus.
Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were good friends of Jesus.
While Jesus was up beyond Jordan (a good ways away from where they lived in Bethany), Lazarus became very ill. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, hoping he'd come and heal Lazarus. But when Jesus received the message He waited two days before He came. By the time Jesus had arrived Lazarus had been dead for four days.
Every one kept saying, "Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not of died." And "Couldn't this Man who gave sight to the blind, prevented this man from dying?"
But Jesus had a purpose in waiting. When He received the message that Lazarus was sick He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." -John 11:4
And before He went to Lazarus He said to His disciples, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there so that you may believe."
Though Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus had them roll the stone away from the tomb, and called in a loud voice "Lazarus! Come forth!" And Lazarus came out of the tomb! Jesus raised him from the dead!
Jesus waited to come to Lazarus for a reason. He could of simply healed Lazarus while he was sick, and prevented him from ever dying. But by waiting and raising Him from the dead, it was undeniable that Jesus had done a miraculous work. Because of it God was glorified and many believed in Jesus.
If Jesus had simply healed Lazarus it could of been explained away. "Oh, He wasn't as sick as he looked." But you can't explain away somebody being raised from the dead after days.
When our prayers aren't answered the way we expect or want, we sometimes react the same way people reacted to Lazarus's death. "Jesus, where were you? Why didn't you stop this from happening?"
But God's ways are way above our ways, and so much better. We can only see a tiny, little speck of the picture, while God can see the whole thing.
We have to trust God, knowing that He knows what's best.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heaves are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9
-Allie
In John 11:1-44 we hear the story of Lazarus.
Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were good friends of Jesus.
While Jesus was up beyond Jordan (a good ways away from where they lived in Bethany), Lazarus became very ill. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, hoping he'd come and heal Lazarus. But when Jesus received the message He waited two days before He came. By the time Jesus had arrived Lazarus had been dead for four days.
Every one kept saying, "Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not of died." And "Couldn't this Man who gave sight to the blind, prevented this man from dying?"
But Jesus had a purpose in waiting. When He received the message that Lazarus was sick He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." -John 11:4
And before He went to Lazarus He said to His disciples, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there so that you may believe."
Though Lazarus had been dead four days, Jesus had them roll the stone away from the tomb, and called in a loud voice "Lazarus! Come forth!" And Lazarus came out of the tomb! Jesus raised him from the dead!
Jesus waited to come to Lazarus for a reason. He could of simply healed Lazarus while he was sick, and prevented him from ever dying. But by waiting and raising Him from the dead, it was undeniable that Jesus had done a miraculous work. Because of it God was glorified and many believed in Jesus.
If Jesus had simply healed Lazarus it could of been explained away. "Oh, He wasn't as sick as he looked." But you can't explain away somebody being raised from the dead after days.
When our prayers aren't answered the way we expect or want, we sometimes react the same way people reacted to Lazarus's death. "Jesus, where were you? Why didn't you stop this from happening?"
But God's ways are way above our ways, and so much better. We can only see a tiny, little speck of the picture, while God can see the whole thing.
We have to trust God, knowing that He knows what's best.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heaves are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9
-Allie
posted by Allie @ 10:27 PM
2 Comments
