Here are some gleanings from the Lord given to me during my quiet time with the Lord a couple evenings ago. It blessed me so I thought I would pass on my simple gleanings to anyone who would like to read them.
“When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” John 11:4
Am I willing to suffer for the glory of God to be manifested in my life? Lazarus had to suffer illness and death so that Jesus could be glorified. Mary and Martha had to suffer heart-breaking pain so Jesus could be glorified. The close friends of Jesus had to go through the deepest pain for their Friend to be glorified. Am I willing to also go through pain and suffering for His glory?
For four days Mary and Martha suffered heart-breaking pain over the loss of their brother and the seeming failure of their Friend who they had so believed in. “Why” must have been the foremost question in their hearts. How great their pain must have been to hear friends shake their heads over Jesus’ failure to come and heal Lazarus. For four days there must have been doubts in hearts as to who Jesus was and why he didn’t come.
“Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” That word, “if” slips in. “Lord, if you had been here when I needed you,” “Lord, you’ve failed me” are the words that sometimes come pouring out of broken hearts. “Lord, if you had done what was needed I wouldn’t have this pain!” The broken heart may feel forsaken and let down by God. All we can see is our pain. But here with our story Christ has something far greater in mind for Martha and Mary.
“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.” John 11:33-35. These verses reveal how Jesus felt their pain.
“Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” John 11:36-37. Here it is: the rebuke, “If Jesus had really loved Lazarus why didn’t he heal him?” Jesus allowed this, these words to be spoken, so that He could be glorified in an even greater way. There may be reproach right now because of how God is treating you now, but God is doing something greater than what often may appear to the human eye.
“Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” John 11:39. Here we see Jesus going forward in His plan to manifest the works of God and Martha issues forth her objection, “Lord, this really isn’t a good idea, he’s been dead four days and the body stinks!” Sometimes God may make a move that we aren’t quite prepared for. But here it reveals Martha’s faith, or lack of it. How we respond to God’s working is revealing as to how much we really believe and trust in Him.
“Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” John 11:40. If you believe you will see the glory of God.
“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 11:41-42. Jesus is confident in His Father. There is no doubt whatsoever in this relationship between Father and Son. It is an example of absolute confidence and trust. The last part of Jesus’ pray, “because of the people which stand by” shows us that Jesus is indeed manifesting Who He is to the people.
“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.” John 11:43. Sometimes we have to cry out to God for deliverance. This would be an actual lifting up our voices and crying out loud.
“And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:44. The answer! Glory to God!
“Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.” John 45-48. Many believed! But some were so hardened and skeptical that they couldn’t believe. Oh, is it possible for our hearts to be so hard that we miss the very miracles that God performs before our very eyes?!!
“What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.” To think that this was a problem! Oh, how blind they were. Here God was manifesting His power through His Son and they didn’t see it! Oh, here is that awful and devious sin, pride; we fear of coming and believing in Christ because of the cost. But it is far better to lose any worldly position we might have now than to lose a heavenly position with God in eternity!
These words are to encourage anyone who may be going through a painful trial, whether it may be physical pain, or having a loved one suffer. Or perhaps it is the pain of dissension within your church. One of the deepest pains can be having someone you love betray you and turn on you. Even that pain can be used for His glory. So, suffer patiently and believe God to manifest His glory through whatever trials you may be going through right now.
"Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea." Isaiah 24:15