The more I think about the story of Lazarus, the more I am moved to share this revelation. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were so loved by the Lord Jesus, just as we are. Can you just feel His love flowing from the couple of words He’s used me to write so far? I can! I’m intrigued by the emphasis that John places on how much they were loved by Jesus. I’m sure it’s because he wants us to understand the concept of trust and faith. I use to hear often “love is what love does” and it makes me cringe because it’s been said by those in my past as a form of control. Maybe that’s why Mary and Martha were so upset at Jesus; not coming when they expected Him to come. “If you would have been here, our brother wouldn’t have died”. (John 11;21) I can hear them now, in today’s language. You love us, mmmmmmhmmmmm, but you didn’t come to heal our dear brother and we did all that fasting and praying. We done spoke in tongues till we ran out of languages. LOL!
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, (Proverbs 13;12) it really does. Disappointment breaks your heart as a human being. I’m sure this is partly what they were feeling, and even embarrassment of what people were going to say and think. Again, they were the family that Jesus loved, he communed with them at their home. You know, equivalent to when people look at your life and just swear your so anointed and favored of God; and you shouldn’t have any issues. (My old way of thinking) Lord, I did all that singing, all that praying, all that service in church, all that giving; and my family still suffered and struggled. Things still died in my life that I thought were truly the will of God. But I’ve been encouraged today and I want to encourage you, it is all for God’s glory. I realized after today, man CANNOT get the glory. I don’t care how much they sowed in your life, it still CANNOT match God’s plan. I realize, I CAN’T get God’s glory; no matter how much compromising and sacrificing I did. I CANNOT match God’s 100% plan. However, keep sowing, keep loving, keep choosing peace despite what it looks like; because we are believers.
There are some things that have died in your life but in His timing, God will resurrect those blessings. PUSH past hope and believe with no reservations. Mary n nem stopped at hope, because Lazarus just didn’t seem to be getting better. And they were dead set on “expecting” Jesus to be there to heal him. When we get tired and weary from expectations, we stop at hope. And that’s where what we were believing for goes to sleep. Right now, shift your thinking, shift your fear to faith and listen for God to say “Lazarus come forth”. Faith surpasses hope; let patience have her perfect work that you may be entire wanting nothing. (John 1;4) We have to take our eyes off the situation and place our faith, spiritual eyes back on the Father, the one who has the power to resurrect any dead situation.
No Need for Appraisal 