"THAT THE SON OF MAN MAY BE GLORIFIED THROUGH IT."
JOHN 11:4 NKJV
Here are three more lessons from Lazarus:
(1) God h as a bigger and better plan in mind. Lazarus was four days dead when Jesus arrived. When the Lord waits, it's for two reasons: (a) That He may be glorified. The Pharisees believed that your spirit left your corpse on the fourth day after you died. So if Jesus had intervened earlier they'd have said, "He wasn't really dead." Hence He told His disciples, "This sickness is...for the glory of God" (Jn 11:4 NKJV). It's in looking back that we clearly see God's hand at work. (b) That our faith may be strengthened. Jesus said, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe" (Jn 11:15 NKJV). In life, crises come and go. Your next crisis will be different than your last one, but the thing that must remain strong is your faith. (2) God will ask you to remove the hindrances and deal with the stench. "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha...said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days'" (Jn 11:38-39 NKJV). Are you praying for an answer in one area, while God's telling you to take away the stone and deal with a "stench" buried in another? Surrender, you can't win! When your heart's right with God your prayers will be answered. (3) God wants to make you a living testimony. Everywhere Lazarus went, without even speaking a word, his life declared that Jesus is Lord. And the same should be true of you. God has saved and raised you up to be a testimony to His grace and goodness.
