Read:
John 11:17-37
After a delay
of nearly a week, Jesus finally arrived in Judea. By then, Lazarus had been in
the tomb for four days. His sisters had long since given up hope -- hope for
their brother’s recovery and any hope that Jesus might respond to their need.
When Martha heard that Jesus had finally come, she reacted with both disappointment
and cautious optimism. As she rushed out to meet Jesus, her first words reflect
the deep pain she felt, “If you had been here … “
How many times
have you shared Martha's disappointment with God? Times when you've begged for God's intervention,
but He was silent. Moments when God could have changed the course of events,
but He remained unmoved. Circumstances
that would have only required a small miracle, but the miracle never came, and
you were left asking, "Does God care?" "Is He not powerful
enough to answer my request?" Those
seem like logical and obvious questions in moments of deep disappointment. And
even if we can muster the faith to believe in a God who can do anything, we are
often forced to explain why He sometimes doesn't.
Many of our
saddest stories begin with the words, "If only." "If only she
hadn't been drinking." "If only he had not left." "If only
they had not made that investment … taken that job …. sent that email … gotten
in the car … stayed the night." "If only." Not only does
"If only" defy reality and deepen our sense of regret, but it also
threatens to undermine our faith in God. Whenever we say "If only,"
we could always finish the sentence with, "God loved me," "If
only God were powerful enough," "If only God had been here."
Martha quickly
recovers from her raw emotions as her overwhelming faith in Jesus overtakes her
fear and doubt. In spite of her deep
disappointment, she still believes and that is the real test of faith. Not how we respond when God provides and intervenes,
but how we respond to His silence in our hour of deepest need.
God of the Silence,
I know You know my need and are not ignorant of my circumstances.
Please give me the faith to
wait patiently for Your intervention. Give me hope past the point where hope
seems reasonable. Help me to set aside my “if only”
thoughts and replace them with the assurance
of Your love,
power, and purpose – even in
the midst of my doubts and fears.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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