As You Are

“Jesus Wept” John 11:38, NIV.

The Lord brought this verse to my mind earlier this week while praying. I’m deep in a healing season and I know the Lord has promised me victory over the things I’m facing, but right now, I feel a bit stuck, you know? I feel like I’m in the middle. And so I asked Him, “Lord, what do You have to say about all that I’m facing?” 

And then “Jesus wept,” became imprinted on my heart. I felt the Lord further impress upon my heart: “Jesus knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead and still, he sat and wept with Martha and Mary.” 

Wow. This revelation hit me like a ton of bricks. If you’re not familiar with the story of Lazarus it’s a story of a man named Lazarus who is sick and dies and four days later, Jesus raises him from the dead (that’s the TLDR version, but please read the full story in John 11:1-44). 

With this fresh revelation from the Lord, I went a re-read this story and a few things stood out me that I want to talk about today, especially if you’re in a healing process/waiting for a miracle/in the middle: 

1. Jesus told them from the beginning how the story would end.

When Lazarus was sick, his sisters (Martha and Mary) asked Jesus to heal him and Jesus told them then: “‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it,’” (John 11:4, NIV). 

Jesus told them how the story would end before they knew fully where it was going. Jesus gave them a word of hope to cling in the midst of their pain. 

What does this teach me? Cling to the promises God speaks to you even when all the circumstances around you don’t feel in alignment. Trust that He is moving. 

2. Martha and Mary ran towards Jesus.

Honestly, I can’t even imagine how Martha and Mary must have felt when Lazarus died. Imagine being told by Jesus that your brother would live and still, he died. I’m sure their situation felt so hopeless.

What is so beautiful to me though is that when Jesus arrived four days later, both Martha and Mary didn’t run from Jesus, they ran towards him. They both said “if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” (John 11:21, 32, NIV).

What moves me more is that Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11: 25-26).

All Jesus needed to know was: do you believe in me? And they did. And he was deeply moved and he wept with them (John 11:33-35). 

What does this teach me? In our times of hurt and confusion, we need to run to Jesus. It’s our belief in him and our drawing near to him that sustains us. He doesn’t pull away in those moments, but he comes closer. 

3. It’s all about the glory of God.

It doesn’t say how much time passes between Jesus weeping with Martha and Mary and raising Lazarus from the dead, but it’s clear that it’s not instantaneous. To me, it reads like Jesus goes back a second time and this is when he raises Lazarus from the dead. But before Jesus raises him from the dead it says: 

“Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me,’” (John 11:40-42). 

Wow. Does this make you pause in awe? Because it makes me pause in awe. Through Jesus’ timing of healing Lazarus three things are achieved: 

1. We see the glory of God and His power through Lazarus being raised from the dead.
2. We see faith/belief for Mary, Martha, and others being stirred and strengthened.
3. It further proves that Jesus is the Messiah to the world.

What does this teach me? God’s timing with our healing and miracles is never accidental, it’s always intentional. 

I don’t know what you’re in the middle of right now, but can I encourage you with this? God is with you. God is not in a rush when it comes to your healing process. He wants to sit with you in it and heal you through it, all for His glory. Keep going. Keep believing. And hold onto the promises He’s spoken over you.