How many times have I wondered in my wanderings
“How can a loving God watch His beloved suffer
And do nothing to stop it?” Yet therein lies the mystery
Of the Almighty that sons of men cannot comprehend;
To be it all and have it all and not use it outside purpose
To possess greatness in humility and power with restraint
To be God, and be content to be God and allow men to be men.

I recall after the loss of the second Lazarus, my brother said, “Gee, how can God do this to you, after all you do for Him?” I was too broken to care. But as with God and with time, healing comes and we recover if we allow ourselves. Like the popular song that goes, “I have decided, to follow Jesus, no turning back.” That is where I stand. Of course it did feel like God already knew and was taking advantage of that when He took my second Lazarus. I queried Him, “Would You do that to someone who may fall off the faith? I think not. You are doing this to me because You know I’m going nowhere. You know I won’t leave but that is not fair. This is not how You treat a friend.” And guess what? God never retorts back when we are mad at Him. He holds His peace because He feels our pain. He knows how deep we are hurting and His silence is not ignoring but reaching, soothing, seeking to bring relief where we are pained the most.

Another touching thing about this story in John Chapter 11 verse 21-22 when Christ arrived at the scene after Lazarus had been buried, “ ‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’ ” After that conversation, she went her way. What faith! If only we can learn from this, to say our piece with God and go our way in trust, assured that He can handle the things we can’t. The majority of us would claim and demand and pester and badger until our will and not His, is done. God does not work according to our expectations and schedules. Jesus didn’t raise Lazarus from death because His sisters demanded and pushed and shoved. He did what He had to.

How are you handling God’s responses to your prayers? Are you the ailing Lazarus or the spouse, sibling, parent, relative or friend of a Lazarus? Sure God’s Word promises life and healing and much more but one thing we must keep in mind is that our goal should be, “Thy will not my will be done O God!” And if that is our prayer, we must learn to surrender not only ourselves but also our loved ones into His care and to accept that in the end, God knows not just better – He knows best. And if we accept that He knows best, we concede that in His care toward us and our loved ones, He won’t do less than is best for everyone concerned. It is when we get to this point that irrespective of outcomes, we will be able to bear the good and the bad with grace. And His grace is sufficient for us all through it all.

God is God. He is okay to be God. And He is okay to let us be whatever we choose. Nevertheless, for as many as have chosen to put their trust in Him, God looks out and works all things together for our good no matter how it comes and goes. The choice is ours at the end of the day, to let God be God and to continue to love, trust and obey Him, or let the hammers of disappointment knock us off the ladder of faith. I pray that through every challenge you face, after you have done your best, that you take His peace and enter His rest despite the turmoil around, knowing that God is well able to do the very things we can’t, in His time. I pray that in times when you cry, “If only You would do this O God!” that your heart will not turn back on Him. I pray that disappointments and losses will not snatch you out of His loving and faithful hands. I pray that whether your Lazarus is healed or not, that your faith will remain steadfast, trusting in God who never fails. And I pray His surpassing peace keeps you still through it all. Amen.

Blessings

Glory!