Waiting is Sometimes Loving

-

Read John 11:5-6

Here we continue the story of Lazarus that we began last time.  We read two sentences that do not seem to go together. “Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when He heard that he [Lazarus] was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”
Wait. What? Shouldn’t that read, “He loved them, so He immediately got up and ran to Bethany to save the day?”
In our human minds, that is the logical response. The right response. The best response. But God’s ways are different, and these verses clearly state that the reason Jesus made the sisters wait was because He loved them. Stop and let that sink in. Sometimes we are made to wait because God loves us.
This is not a love that smooths away every challenge in life, or gives us everything we think we want. It is a love that knows exactly what is needed and what is the best result for all of His people, even if it is hard.

When you look into Jesus' eyes, what does His love look like?

If you are a parent, think of a time when you made your child wait for something. Or consider a time when your parents made you wait. What lesson were you trying to teach? Consider how the waiting affected the child's
behavior and even perhaps changed the end result.
No single experience shapes our child’s entire character, but each experience contributes to it. How can the waiting you currently experience help to shape your character? Ask God to show you His great love which is present even in the waiting.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Committed to Prayer

-
Image
Read Daniel 10 to get the full story, but today we will focus on just the first few verses. As you read, take note of how Daniel prepared himself to hear from God, and also notice the important messages given to him when the information was revealed. The book of Daniel is packed full of wonderful accounts of God’s power manifest in Daniel’s life – the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, the handwriting on the wall. There’s plenty there to study and learn. This time I want to focus on a lesser known account in chapter 10, which gives us a glimpse into the spiritual realm. The first thing I noticed is how committed Daniel is to his prayer. In verses 2 and 3 we read about his sacrificial approach and focus on seeking God.   He describes himself as “mourning.” The definition of the original word here indicates lamenting, or walking with head downcast.  When we find ourselves in this condition, we need to follow Daniel’s example and go directly to seeking God. And his isn’t a quick pr
Read more

Meager Bread and Water

-
Image
  Read Isaiah 30:20-22 What truth is contained in these verses!! When we seek the Lord during hard times, things will become clearer and powerful things happen. Let's look at the three basic lessons that have become clear to me as I've studied this passage. First, God provides what we need – “meager bread and water.” Although we may be learning to do without some things, we still have a God who will meet our needs and help us become aware of our greediness for more than that. He has promised that when we first seek Him, He will provide for the daily stuff we tend to worry about (Matthew 6:33). Second, our Teacher will not be hidden and He will not be silent. Adversity helps us to grow and to learn about what God wants from us. As we stumble through the chaos, we will begin to see God in the midst of it, and God’s voice will become clearer.   He will lead us in His ways. Finally, when we are struggling, our lives get sifted. As the shaking continues, we begin to recogniz
Read more

Waiting Stinks

-
Image
Read John 11:1-4 (We'll go farther in the story next time) Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick. Very sick. His sisters sent for Jesus, the compassionate miracle-worker. When Jesus didn’t come right away, Martha and Mary suffered. They expected Jesus, the Healer who loved them, to come and save Lazarus. When Lazarus died instead, they were left with their own thoughts and questions. I can imagine that they wavered in their faith, sometimes thinking, “Jesus has so many people to help, of course He couldn’t just come when we asked,” and sometimes “But He’s our friend. Aren’t we important enough to Him that He would come and help?” They maybe even wondered why Jesus didn’t say the word from afar and save Lazarus’ life. He’d done it for others. Why not for them?
Read more