Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “LORD, THE ONE YOU LOVE IS SICK.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “THIS SICKNESS WILL NOT END IN DEATH. NO, IT IS FOR GOD’S GLORY SO THAT GOD’S SON MAY BE GLORIFIED THROUGH IT.” NOW JESUS LOVED MARTHA AND HER SISTER AND LAZARUS. John 11:1-5
Many people say that God answers our prayers in three different ways: yes, no, or wait. This may be a simplistic way of looking at divine intervention in our lives. However, we know how easy it is for us to become restless when God makes us wait-especially while we’re in the midst of a difficulty and have dedicated ourselves to prayer.
When Jesus found out that Lazarus was sick, He wasn’t in any hurry to get to his bedside. Did He act that way because He didn’t love Lazarus? The Bible text leaves it clear that He did. He also loved Mary and Martha, his sisters. However, He knew the purpose of that suffering and acted in accordance with the will of God.
We don’t always understand God’s purpose and dealings in our lives. Sometimes while we are waiting for a divine answer, our loved one dies or we have to watch someone special in our lives suffer injustice.
THE BIG QUESTION:
WHY? IF GOD LOVED US, COULDN’T HE MAKE ALL OUR PROBLEMS GO AWAY? WHY? IF GOD LOVES US, DOES HE ALLOW US TO SUFFER AND SOMETIMES WITHOUT DELIVERANCE?
It raises a great confusion and question in the hearts of people that Jesus loved Lazarus but yet left him to die. They had to voice out the question in their troubled heart, “And some of them said, could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this man should not have died?”
They are damn right! He could. He can do all He wills to do at any point in time. But sometimes He is not willing to do all that He can do. In the case of Lazarus, He was not willing to do the great work of preventing him from dying but the greater work of resurrection to the glory of God!
In those moments when we are tempted to doubt, it is important to remember that God created a perfect world. However, man spoiled that perfect creation. Evil and sickness exist because of sin. But God gave us the solution for all our problems. He sent His Son to die on the cross in our place. The death and resurrection of Jesus guarantee our salvation. We are saved through faith in Christ and have the assurance of life eternal. This is the greatest comfort we have as we face difficulties in this life. The fact that we are suffering doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us. In the midst of our suffering we can be sure that:
One, He knows how we feel. Jesus went through the greatest suffering that any human being could ever experience. He understands perfectly what we are feeling and He cares. When Jesus heard that Lazarus had died, He cried (John 11:35).
Two, whatever the problem or suffering that we have to face, God is able to transform the bad into good. In the heat of the fiery furnace, sometimes it’s hard to see how this is going to be for our benefit. But He promises that it will. Those moments of anguish in our lives can be used by God to bring glory to His name. As Christians, we can testify of His faithfulness even in the midst of our deepest pain. We become more mature in our faith. God has lessons to teach us that we can only learn in the midst of testing.
As you go through difficulties and suffering, don’t focus on the loss and the pain. Don’t become bitter or discouraged. Fix your eyes on Jesus, trust Him and let His glory be revealed through you. He knows how you feel and He can transform bad into good (Romans 8:28). Waiting patiently for the Lord!
