“When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” – John 11:4 (AMP)
Brother Lazarus was a dear brother to Mary and Martha who were followers of Jesus. Mary was the one in whom Jesus cast out seven devils and she was also the one who anointed Jesus with fragrant oil of high cost and also the attentive one who sat at the feet of Jesus as He came visiting. Martha was the ever hospitable woman who couldn’t bear to see the Lord’s physical needs unattended and didn’t mind inconveniencing herself to make the Lord Jesus comfortable in their home. But Brother Lazarus was one that Jesus loved and called friend.
Brother Lazarus suddenly fell sick for many days and at the time while he was sick, Jesus was contacted to inform Him of his health state and, as He was popularly known for, to come and heal him. Jesus knew this was the intention but He delayed His going. Mary and Martha being passionate followers of Jesus must have tried to pray for the healing of their brother at least in a way that Jesus must have taught them but no response from until Brother Lazarus died.
Four days after he had been dead, Jesus showed up. If Jesus had come a day earlier and raised him from the dead, the Jews would believe it was possible because his soul was still hovering around in the tomb and so it was near but to silence every myth and fable, Jesus showed up on the fourth day. When He did show up, Martha confronted Him that if He had come some days earlier, her brother wouldn’t have died. But Jesus knew the purpose of his death was to glorify God and His Son.
When Jesus came, He called Brother Lazarus out of the tomb and the dead man came out walking and breathing. What a joy to experience such miracle!
This speaks to you as well. There were prayers you prayed when certain situations were still manageable and could logically still be remedied but none of those prayers were answered. And now the situation has become worse. You must know why the situation persisted and got worse despite your prayers. Sometimes, it is God’s will to allow a situation become so difficult that every strategy of man will fail and Him alone will be ascribed the glory and praise for making a way.
Humans have a way of explaining away the interventions of God as mere coincidence or luck. But none of God’s interventions in a problem is a coincidence or luck. You must understand that God is intentional about you. He makes you go through the valley of the shadow of death and will not remove you but He will silently be with you. His will is to make you strong and fearless and for this to happen, He needs to walk you through the very danger itself.
Before you speak against God because you do not have response to some prayers you’ve prayed, you must seek to understand His will on the subject matter as this understanding will guard your heart and give you a direction of focus and hope. God delays answers to certain prayers so that His will might find full expression in the situation. Don’t despair.
Reflections: Have I ever been in a situation like that of Brother Lazarus? How did I stay true to God despite the difficult situation I was in? What lessons can I pick from this narrative?
Confession: I am fearless and made strong in the Lord. I am not brought down by difficult situations around me. I stay faithful and hopeful in God’s promises. I understand His will in my situation and I allow Him have all the glory.
Related Scripture: John 11
Bible Reading: Genesis 36
