Waiting is Sometimes Loving

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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.

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