“When Jesus heard it, He said, ‘This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ (…) Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live.’ (…) After He said this, He shouted with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him and let him go.’” John 11:4, 25, 43-44 HCSB
Timing is everything. AND God’s timing is often different from ours. The sisters Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come immediately to heal their brother. They had no idea He had something bigger and better in mind. God’s timing allowed Him to show His power over death!
“That very same night, Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.” Daniel 5:30 CEB
Sometimes God does act immediately, as in the case of this ancient king who had just been told by Daniel that he would die. Oftentimes we must wait.
“But the landowner said, ‘No, because if you gather the weeds, you’ll pull up the wheat along with them. Let both grow side by side until the harvest. And at harvesttime I’ll say to the harvesters, “First gather the weeds and tie them together in bundles to be burned. But bring the wheat into my barn.”’” Matthew 13:29-30 CEB
And now we find ourselves in 2024. We’ve witnessed God’s power over death and over sin not only in Lazarus, but in Jesus and finally in our own lives when we turn to Him in repentance. What’s next? We still find ourselves waiting for the end times.
Today we should pray that we will be found ready and waiting for His return. We need to be about our Father’s business of proclaiming the Good News of salvation in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
“You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. (…) This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come.” Matthew 24:6, 14 HCSB