“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:21 (NIV)
When six-year-old Glenn invited his classmates to his birthday party, he expected at least a few to come. But not one of them showed up. This little boy with autism was devastated. “I know this might be something silly to rant about, but my heart is breaking for my son,” his mother Ashlee wrote. “He keeps asking, “When will my friends get here?”
Mary and Martha knew about failed expectations. Though they’d sent word to Jesus, asking Him to come as quickly as possible, their friend didn’t show up. Verse 6 of chapter 11 offers us a little behind-the-scenes peek, revealing Jesus chose to stay where He was for two more days. It was a deliberate choice on His part, a decision that clearly confused his followers.
Most of us know the end of the story. Jesus waited for Lazarus to die so He could raise him from the dead. His delay was intentional because He had a greater purpose in mind. His plan was to demonstrate His incredible might and power and to prove He truly was the Son of God, the One who was master over life and death.
Have you experienced times when you’ve cried out to God but your prayers didn’t seem to get past the ceiling? Have you felt like God abandoned you when you needed Him the most? Does He, at times, seem as silent as the night around you? Truth is, God knows your struggle. He sees your tears. He understands your grief and shares your pain. God would never ignore you. He could never forsake His own. But He is working out His purpose in you and through you. That’s where faith steps in; faith clings to the knowledge that God is good and God cares, whether or not our concept of good matches His.
Glenn’s friends didn’t show up, but guess who did? A local shop owner and her family, then a dozen or so families stopped by. A helicopter flew over his house in a show of support, and then throughout the week, police cars, fire trucks, a SWAT van, and a canine unit stopped by to wish the little boy a “happy birthday.” What appeared to be his biggest letdown turned out to be the best birthday ever.
Thought: “What if disappointment is really the exact appointment your soul needs to radically encounter God?” ― Lysa TerKeurst
For further reading:
- John 14:1
- Genesis 50:20
- 2 Peter 3:9
- Psalm 56:8
Excerpt from my devotional, A Year in God’s Classroom