Today’s reading: John 11:1-16
One of Jesus’s followers, Lazarus, becomes quite sick. His sisters, who are also followers of Jesus, send word to Jesus so He can come and heal Lazarus. But Jesus doesn’t respond like they expect or how they want. When the news reaches Him, instead of jumping right up and attending to the matter, Jesus stays where He’s at for two more days, and in that time Lazarus dies.
Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, yet he allowed each of them to go through an agonizing and painful situation (both physically and emotionally) before He took action and set things right.
This passage provides such a good reminder about how our perspective and desires typically operates differently from the way God works. I can think of numerous times when God allowed me to go through a hardship so that when I came out the other side, it was evident that He was in control, watching over and teaching me the entire time. While I don’t enjoy pain, hardship and difficulties I can honestly say that these times have a way of showcasing God to me and drawing me even closer to Him.
What did you notice or learn from this account about God’s ways, timing or perspective? What’s one example of how you’ve learned and grown spiritually through a difficult circumstance or situation? How was God highlighted in and through the experience? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
