Jesus Waited for Two Days

I have been reading the story of the death and raising of Lazarus for a few days now.  There is so much in this chapter.  As I keep reading it there are two verses that just keep sticking out to me.

John 11:5-6, "So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days."

The verses before that tell me that it happened that way for the glory of God.  So that the Son of God would receive the glory from this.

When I am waiting for a prayer to be answered, or waiting to see a change in some one's recovery, or in a situation where I just don't feel like God is moving, I need to paraphrase that verse.  "Even though God loved Janet (or fill in the blank), he stayed where he was for the next two days, or weeks, or months, or years."

Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  We know that.  We know he stayed with them when he was in the area. They were near and dear to his heart.  There was a special bond there.  The human side of Jesus might have wanted to be with his friends during this hard time.  But, he knew that God would receive more glory if he waited.  If he stayed where he was.  It was a bigger miracle to raise Lazarus from the dead, instead of  healing him from a sickness.

Jesus was willing to wait those two days.  He knew his friends would suffer a little, but he knew the ultimate end to the story.  He knew the outcome.  He knew they would be OK and that their faith might increase in the waiting.

So often we think only of ourselves.  We think about what we might be missing, or what we might be going through.  Or why doesn't God just fix this.  We think in the moment.  God sees two days or two steps ahead of what we can see in our selfishness.

If you are in the middle of a struggle, or if you are wondering what is taking God so long.  If your grief is to deep or your pain is pulling you under.  Just hold on.  Maybe God is using your current situation to glorify Him.  Maybe its not always about us.  Maybe, just maybe, it is so the Son of God will receive the glory.

I believe even though Jesus wasn't physically with Martha, Mary and Lazarus during those two days. They were in his thoughts and prayers.  They were on his heart.  He knew and felt their pain.  He is with us in those times too.  He may wait two days but we are never alone in our hurt.

Look at the crowd that had gathered in those two days. Look at the people who saw a miracle that day. God not only showed Martha, Mary, and Lazarus a miracle, many people who had come to comfort them watched and believed.

Our stories, our struggles, our hurts they are not really about us.  They are about God working in us and through us for his glory.

So, although Jesus loves Janet, sometimes he may stay where he is for two days, and that is OK.