John 11:4 “When he heard this, Jesus said, this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
The first time I read the story of Lazarus as told in John 11, I took it at face value, didn’t see how it related to me. We all know the story, Jesus’s good friend died and He raised him from the dead. When Jesus was told of his friend’s illness the reply he gave seemed strange to me when I read it at first. To me it sounded like “O well he won’t die but the end result will be for my glory”. But with the knowledge I have of my sweet Lord and Savior it had to be more than that. Sometimes I get it at once; sometimes it takes days of re-reading the passage to get it. Well recently I read that chapter again and I had what Oprah Winfrey would call an “Aha” moment, I understood it all. At least I am pretty sure I did and wanted to share because it reminded me of a situation I had to go through earlier on in a job I had. I’m sure many of you can relate it to a particular season in your life but here is my recount and interpretation of the story.
Have you ever been in a situation where you ask for something and it seems like God isn’t handling your request as fast as you would like? Well, I have, there have been times when I think that a particular situation will be the end of me if something is not done to get me out of it now. But we all know that God’s ways are not our ways. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8). Just got a new job and had this co-worker who at the time it seemed that she would not be at peace till I was frustrated out of the door. Every night I would come home and ask God to please remove me from that situation or remove her, but for one whole, long, excruciating year I had to endure this situation because to me God did nothing. Every morning I go to work and I’m thinking …yes today is the day I will hear that she has been transferred but give it about an hour she would pop up and the never ending drama will continue. I was brought to the point that I stooped to her level and as a Christian, I knew in my heart that I was disappointing God with my attitude but if He didn’t do something by getting her out of the way then I would- by fighting back.
Just like what Mary and Martha told Jesus when He finally arrived to the village, in John 11:22, Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” And Jesus’s reply was what He wished for then and now and that is to TRUST and BELIEVE that He got it, as in (John 11:40) Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”. We all know the popular cliché- He might not there when you want him but he is always on time- well that’s pretty easy to say when you are not in the situation but in actuality it’s so true. He knows that whatever it is will not “cause your death”. So if He doesn’t show up when He you want him to it’s for a reason and that is so that He might be glorified. Do you know what it would mean if every time we called on Him, he did exactly what we wanted when we wanted?? In, my opinion there would be a lot of swollen egos because if we didn’t have to wait or endure we would give ourselves the glory and not where it belongs which is with the Almighty God.
Anyways my story, just like Lazarus’s ended well. There was a sudden re-organization and she didn’t work in my department any longer and you know what He does get all the glory, because when I’m encouraging someone else about a similar situation, I start the story with….To God be the glory, I was in that situation…………”
Be Blessed,
Unoma
Copyright2012
Unoma Nwankwor 