Out of the Ashes We Rise

Day #33 - "Yet even now" Moments

John 11 tells us the story of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha who were siblings and very good friends with Jesus. Can you picture Jesus coming to town to visit you? When your best friend or a very close family member says "I'm coming for a visit", do you eagerly anticipate his/her arrival? That's the kind of friendship Jesus had with these three. Well in this story, it would seem that Jesus has abandoned His friends. You see, Lazarus has become very sick. Mary and Martha send a message to Jesus telling Him what is going on. Now let's stop for a moment and look at that. Mary and Martha did just the right thing. We can't control things in life; we must go to God. We must seek Him and follow Him. But what do you do when He doesn't respond as you think He should/would? Well Mary and Martha are about to get that answer.

Verses 5-6 tell us His response: "Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was." What? Now that just doesn't make a lot of sense. He stayed! He didn't jump up at once to fix Lazarus. I mean He didn't even have to leave, He could have just spoken and Lazarus would've been well. But He did neither of those things. He stayed. Why; "So that the Son of God may be glorified." You see, Jesus knew the outcome of the story. He knew that He was about to do something that was beyond comprehension. He was about to transform people's lives and take them to a deeper faith than they could begin to imagine. If He had told them that in advance all that He was going to do, would they have understood? I think probably not. He gives us the understanding that we need, when we need it.

Well after his unexpected wait, He tells His disciples "Lazarus has died....But let's go to him." (v.14) While He was on the way, Martha runs to meet Him. She tells Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn't have died. Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You."

What is your “yet even now”? What seems so beyond fixing, yet even still you trust God? Is it health, a relationship, your future? Whatever it is, God is still in the restoration business. But since He is Creator, He gets to choose how and when to restore. Jesus tells Martha "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die - ever. Do you believe this?" He tells us the same thing. He is Who He says He is. He will do what He says He will do. The choice is ours to believe Him; to trust Him or not.

Jesus tells Martha that He is going to resurrect Lazarus from the grave so that many will believe He is Messiah. What is her reaction? "By now the smell will be terrible, for he has been dead four days." Martha had already declared her "Yet even now" moment. She knew Jesus was fully capable of "fixing" the issue. But when it came right down to the "how" Jesus would fix things, she had a momentary doubt. Are you like Martha (and me)? Do you ever say, "I know You're working this situation out, but is that really how You're going to fix it?" Jesus tells Martha "Didn't I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" Faith has action steps, not just words. We can trust that not only CAN God work, but we can trust his METHODS as well.

The result? Jesus did in fact raise Lazarus from the dead in full view of a large crowd. We're told that "many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what He did believed in Him." (v.48) Jesus could have healed Lazarus immediately, but He chose to resurrect him instead, leading many to know Jesus as Lord. We may not understand His plan or His methods, but we can trust His faithfulness. God will blow us over with what He will do when we trust Him "yet even now"!

Pray with me:
Father, You are trustworthy. You are faithful. I am believing You for some incredibly huge things; however, You are more than huge and You can handle all of my needs. Draw me closer and closer to You. Reveal Your glory as You're working in my life. Thank You for all You are and for all You're doing. May I radiate Your goodness and love.