What happens when you come to a dead end? Everything that you worked so hard to achieve ends up in shambles. You feel that the fruit of your labor was all in vain. Was it worth the time and effort? You sought to call on the one you knew would answer. The one that you knew would come through. But the one you called on chose not to come right away. In fact, the one you called on purposely decided to delay in coming. The one you called on only came after there was no more hope for the matter that was at hand. What a let down huh? Well, that is exactly what happened to two sisters named Martha and Mary. They had a brother named Lazarus. This family was dearly loved by Jesus. Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick. Jesus had the ability to heal him. Jesus could have sent a word of healing as he did with the centurion. The centurion told Jesus that his servant was sick. He asked Jesus to speak the word and his servant would be healed. The centurion knew his servant would be healed by the spoken words of Jesus. As a result, the centurion's servant was instantly healed. The moment Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick He could have spoken the word and Lazarus would have been instantly healed. But He didn't send a word of healing to Lazarus. He could have travelled right away to where Lazarus was and healed him. But He chose to wait two more days. He lingered even though He knew that Lazarus wouldn't be alive when He would go to see him. By the time he got there, he was told that Lazarus had died. Jesus was then approached by Lazarus' sister Martha. Martha said to Jesus, Master, if You had been here my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever You ask from God, He will grant it to You. Jesus said to her, Your brother shall rise again. Martha replied, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live; And whoever continues to live and believes in (has faith in, cleaves to, and relies on) Me shall never [actually] die at all. Do you believe this? She said to Him, Yes Lord, I have believed [I do believe] that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) the Son of God, [even He] Who was to come into the world. [It is for Your coming that the world has waited.] After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, privately whispering to her, The Teacher is close at hand and is asking for you. When she heard this, she sprang up quickly and went to Him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the same spot where Martha had met Him. When the Jews who were sitting with her in the house and consoling her saw how hastily Mary had arisen and gone out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to pour out her grief there. When Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him she dropped down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who came with her [also] sobbing He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. [He chafed in spirit and sighed and was disturbed.] And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. The Jews said, See how [tenderly] He loved him! But some of them said, Could not He Who opened a blind man's eyes have prevented this man from dying? Now Jesus, again sighing repeatedly and deeply disquieted, approached the tomb. It was a cave (a hole in the rock), and a boulder lay against [the entrance to close] it. Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, But Lord, by this time he [is decaying and] throws off an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days! Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. Yes, I know You always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and for the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me [that You have made Me Your Messenger]. When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! And out walked the man who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, Free him of the burial wrappings and let him go. Upon seeing what Jesus had done, many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Him. [They trusted in Him and adhered to Him and relied on Him.] Sometimes in life it's easy to set one's heart on how things should pan out. Especially, when it's a big deal to us. One's mind can be made up that it has to happen in a certain way or at a certain time. The danger in that is when it come to God, one can put Him in a box. He is limited because one expects that He should answer in a certain way and at a specific time. But He doesn't work that way. He sees the whole picture and we only see in part. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. I think that sometimes when we want God to answer us a certain way, that God doesn't answer right away. Why? Because He has something bigger and better in mind. Isaiah 55 says, my thoughts are nothing like your thoughts. This shows that He sees the situations and things we go through differently than we do. He could have healed Lazarus with a word.He could have gone earlier to where Lazarus was and healed him. But He didn't. Why? Because He was being mean? No. He had a greater purpose in mind. The moment He spoke the words Lazarus come forth was the moment that everyone's mindset was changed. He brought life into a situation that was not only hopeless but literally changed something that no one on earth could change. We can be limited in our thinking because we only fix our eyes on what is in the natural. We can try to figure it out in our head but never stop to ask God what He wants to do about a situation. Sometimes we ask Him to make A B and C happen when He wants to give us G-O-D. He wants to give us all that He has in mind for us. It's easy to lean on our own understanding but in doing so we miss the miracle that God has for us. God thinks outside of the box. He has no limitations. He is the God of the impossible. And if we choose to believe and trust in Him it makes room for Him to do what He wants to do. Maybe you are in a situation where it looks bleak. In the natural the situation is completely hopeless. Short of an intervention from God you are a dead end. Know that Jesus cares deeply about every situation that you go through. He wants to meet you right where you are at. He has an answer that is custom made for you. He wants to show you His perspective. The way He answers is always with a greater purpose in mind. It shows us who He is. It brings us to a place of deeper trust when we recognize that He has our best interest at heart. Let God be God. Surrender to His plan for your situation. But most importantly believe and rely on Him. The Bible says, The Lord works on behalf of those who wait for Him. I want to end with what Jesus said to Martha. Jesus said, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? Jesus is asking the same question of us in every hard situation we go through. He never makes a promise that He won't keep. His ways are the best ways. I pray that you will not put your trust in you own ability to work out your situation. May you come to a place where you will trust Him completely. And as you believe and rely on Him that you will see the glory of God manifested in your life. Psalms 138:8 says, He will perfect that which concerns you!!
If You Would Believe
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