I had a realization that was pretty profound to me this morning. I sleep with an audio version of the bible playing every night, and as I was waking up this morning, the book of John was playing.
In John 11, Jesus receives word from two sisters, Martha and Mary, that their brother, Lazarus, is ill. Jesus' response when he hears the message is this:
John 11:4 KJV
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
The sisters are asking Jesus to come heal Lazarus, and Jesus is fond of all three of them, but He doesn't immediately depart; He stays where He is for two days after hearing the message. By the time that He gets to Bethany where they are, Lazarus had died and had been dead for four days. Both sisters lament to Jesus when they see Him that if He had been there their brother would not have died. Jesus wept with them and asked them to take Him to Lazarus' grave. When He gets there, He asks the people with them to remove the stone that is covering the cave where Lazarus was laid.
John 11:43-44 KJV
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
This miracle was performed in front of Mary, Martha, Jesus' disciples, and many Jews who had come from Jerusalem to pay their condolences to the sisters.
I can only imagine the immeasurable joy that Mary and Martha must have felt at this miracle that Jesus performed. And what a testament to the power and glory of God that Jesus displayed through this miracle. It completely reinforces what Jesus said to Martha:
John 11:25-26 KJV
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
The realization that I had this morning was this: you may ask God for a miracle, and God may delay to grant that miracle only to give you something better; to give you a greater miracle than what you were hoping to receive. The pastor at my church recently said that sometimes you have to lose something good in order to receive something greater, and I think in a way what he said applies to Lazarus' death and resurrection.
How absolutely wonderful God is to those who love Him and put their trust and faith in Him. We don't and can't understand His ways and His thoughts, but we don't need to. We only need to rely on Him, trust Him with all our hearts, and put all our faith in Him and He will take care of the rest.
Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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