Even Now!
John 11:21-22 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
The back story is, Martha’s brother, Lazarus, was sick. They immediately sent for their wonderful friend Jesus (“Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” – John 11:3) whom they knew could and would, ask and gain healing from God. Then, they waited, patiently of course!
John 11:6-7 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place He was.
He did not come “in time”. His wonderful friend Lazarus died. Four days after he was put in the tomb, Jesus came.
Lord, if You had been here… how often do we say the same thing to our wonderful friend Jesus?
Verses 32-37 Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ other sister came to meet Jesus, and fell at His feet weeping, and the Jews with who came with her were also weeping. When Jesus therefore saw them weeping He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
How often do we “encourage” ourselves and others with similar words, “Jesus CARES!”?
But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”
And, how often do we wonder in our hearts “Couldn’t He?” when things look as if God has failed to answer our call to come.
How often does Jesus say to us what He said to Martha when she was concerned about the stench of death after FOUR DAYS IN THE GRAVE?
“Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
Even Now…
When you pray for peace in our world and it appears things are going to hell in a hand basket, do you believe we will see the glory of God?
When you ask for intervention for you and/or someone you love and it appears that all hope for life is destroyed, do you believe we will see the glory of God?
When you have seen miracles and wonders rained down from heaven above, do you remember all of them with gratitude and belief? Does Christ dwell so deeply in your inner man that you are rooted and grounded in love and are able to comprehend what is the breadth and length and height and depth the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:17-19)?
Or are your prayers, your request for intervention, your wishes, all cast with the EXPECTATION that they WILL BE fulfilled on your time-table, perfectly delivered to your specifications, every condition expertly managed to your specification? Do you desire to see the glory of God or demand your own will be done?
We are told to ASK! We are told to KEEP ON ASKING! We are also told… Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. (Galatians 6:9-10)
Martha and Mary and all the believers with them, KNEW God could heal and they KNEW Jesus was His Son.
What they didn’t know was God’s love was so much deeper, wider, longer, broader than keeping them from these moments of sadness. God wanted to raise THEM from the dead! He was preparing them (and us) for ETERNAL LIFE!
Through this one event, Jesus didn’t just heal Lazarus, He conquered death for this one person, for this one moment. Through this one event God foreshadowed His plan for all of us… For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Even Now…
1 John 4:15-18 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
This world is full of reasons to fear. As humans we are vulnerable to the roar of evil. Our enemy (which is not flesh and blood) encamps around us and fires every weapon of violence and chaos he has at us, in order to destroy the work of God (Perfect and Perfecting LOVE) in this world. Our enemy does not care about us. Yes, he tries to destroy our health, our wealth, and our happiness, but it isn’t because WE are his worst nightmare. He hates God! But he can’t destroy God nor change God so he settles on causing God grief through His own creation. What better way than to steal the hearts of God’s possession?
Yet… Even Now… as He weeps with us just as He did with Mary and Martha… Jesus says to us… In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Even Now… in the midst of your tears… Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:4)
In the midst of your suffering – in the midst of your groaning – in the midst of everything our enemy throws at you… James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, (perfected and complete in LOVE) lacking in nothing.
Send word to Jesus that you or someone you care about needs Him! Wait for Jesus to come! Wait, but do not be discouraged when it is not in your way on your timeline…
Even Now you WILL see the glory of God!
Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.