God’s promises are bountiful. He promises good to those who love him, trust him and are called according to His purpose. But what does that exactly mean? How do we walk that day in and day out, especially when circumstances are unknown? It can be tricky for sure!
Remember the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus?
It happened in John 11. This family was close to Jesus, and when Lazarus became very ill, they sent word to Jesus to come. In their minds, Jesus would come immediately, and all would be well because they knew Jesus had the power to heal. But Jesus didn’t leave immediately. As a matter of fact, it was 3 or 4 days before he arrived, and Lazarus was good and dead! In those days, when the body set lifeless for that long, there was no turning back to life!
In John 11:21-22 it says:
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
Then again, in verse 32, Mary says the same thing:
When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Both believed that Jesus could heal, and they were upset that Jesus had not rushed there to fix Lazarus! (Wouldn’t we all be?)
Have we ever felt that way in prayer? Absolutely!
We ask we plead; we wait yet Jesus does not seem to show up on time.
But then it happened suddenly (meaning not quickly necessarily but surprisingly on time!) it happens beginning in verse 40 Then Jesus said, did I not tell you if you believe, you will see the glory of God. And then Jesus prayed, and Lazarus came hopping out in his grave clothes!
So I ask you what was Martha and Mary’s part in all of this? What is our part in the life we walk? Could it be as one writer said to believe and witness the glory of God? Wow, what a privilege! And doesn’t life have to be bigger than us or sometimes more than we can handle to see God’s glory? Perhaps!
We can sometimes be like Mary and Martha, wanting things to happen on our timetable, but when we do, we may miss the wonder of who God is. So we ask Him to help us rest, and we release our desires to Him, waiting with anticipation of how he will answer our prayers. After all, God is very creative (He created all things!), so He will help us recall our prayers when He answers, and we will know we are loved and heard!
We believe that Jesus resurrects things from death to life all the time! Whether it be a dream, a career, or a person. God is in the resurrection business, and we know Him!
David, in the above verse, says that God has made known to him the path of life and will fill his heart with joy and eternal pleasures! We know Him, and when things look difficult, we fall into His arms and give Him our burdens! He is faithful to bring life out of things that appear to have no life! That doesn’t mean we will always get what we want, but it does mean that God has an amazing way of bringing life!
So I ask you, my friend, what are we going to do when life gets difficult? Are we going to wait in anticipation or run in fear? Are we going to cry out to God or scurry around and find comfort in the things of this world? It isn’t an easy choice, because danger is real and life has challenges! But my hope is in the midst of it all, we ask for his help, and when we do, we anticipate his arrival! He is coming, and He will do amazing things because that’s what a Daddy does for His children!
Brenda Lewis
Executive Minister
Woodbine Church
