GodSprings - February 02, 2016

Does He Hear My Cry

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.. John 11:21 (NIV)

Upon accepting an award, the late Jack Benny (American comedian, radio, television and film actor, and violinist) once remarked, "I really don't deserve this. But I have arthritis, and I don't deserve that either."

Does my pain have a purpose in my life? When we look around the world we see that no one lives a pain free life, and no one’s life is free from the occasional problem, whether big or small. But when we realize how big our God is, then we will see how small our problems really are.

Lazarus, was sick with a critical illness, and the sisters sent word to Jesus to come quickly. But Jesus did not come right away. In fact, He waited two more days before He left for Bethany. Why would He wait? For that matter, if Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did He allow him to get sick in the first place? Furthermore, why did Jesus not just heal Lazarus from a distance, as He did the nobleman’s son.

Meanwhile, back in Bethany, Mary and Martha no doubt were expecting Jesus’ imminent arrival. Minutes turned into hours, and hours turned into days as they waited eagerly, expectantly looking out their window and wondering when exactly would be the moment Jesus would make His appearance. But to their dismay, Lazarus died and was buried before Jesus even arrived. With his death, the sisters’ hope died as well. One more day went by, then a second, then a third, and finally a fourth day passed before Jesus showed up. But, to the girls, his arrival had come too late. What could He do now? Mary and Martha, in their disappointment and despair, both said to Jesus—with a hint of rebuke in their voices — “If You had been here, my brother would not have died.

What Mary and Martha missed is that while they wanted Jesus to heal their brother, but Jesus wanted to do something far greater than what they expected; He wanted to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Whatever we are going through, remember, our pain has a purpose with God. Our problems are possibilities for God to be glorified. And who knows? Maybe, like Lazarus, Jesus wants to do something far greater than we can begin to imagine.