None of us like to wait.
Waiting may be hard, but it’s not always bad.
Sometimes “waiting” is exactly what we need.
“How long, O LORD, how long?” —Psalm 6:3 | NIV84
Never confuse the silence of God for the inactivity of God.
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha… . So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” —John 11:1, 3 | NLT
Even when you have a close relationship with Jesus, tragedy and hardships are still going to happen.
Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. —John 11:5-6 | NLT
When Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” —John 11:4 | NLT
Jesus’ delay doesn’t contradict His love.
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days… . When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. —John 11:17, 20-21 | NLT
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.” —John 11:32 | NLT
Never confuse the silence of God for the inactivity of God.
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.” —John 11:21-22 | NLT
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” —John 11:25-26 | NLT
“It wasn’t a theological conversation; it wasn’t a theoretical conversation; it was about a way of life. The question was about ‘faithing’ your way through life.” -Randy Harris
When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. —John 11:33 | NLT
Jesus wept. —John 11:35 | NLT
Jesus feels our pain.
“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” —John 11:39-44 | NLT
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies… . Do you believe this?” —John 11:25-26 | NIV84
Life isn’t all about getting what we want in the moment but finding the One we really need.
Never confuse the silence of God for the inactivity of God.