Do you need a miracle today? I believe a miracle is on it’s way to you! It may be taking a while, but it is closer than you think! Maybe it will happen today! Let me share a story which may encourage you. In John 11 Jesus gets told a friend of his, Lazarus is sick:
John 11: “The Death of Lazarus. Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha …so the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 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.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days … 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.”Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ,[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.”Take away the stone,” he said … Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”So they took away the stone”
Jesus prays an awesome prayer and Lazarus comes forth from the grave! And today you may have prayed about some situations in your life to God and as you have waited for your miracle, your circumstances look so dead right now you’re thinking it will really have to be a miracle for this to happen!+I’m here to tell you God is trying to show you something. He said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life” and ” Did I not tell you if you believed you would see the glory of God?” Jesus was revealing Himself in deeper ways to these people He loved so much.
And some times we want a miracle from God and we want it now, but God has better plans as we wait. Think about Job and all he suffered and went through and all the testing he endured. I believe that it was part of God’s plan to bring Job closer, get to know God better and so God could bless him even more than he already was.
And God knew Mary and Martha needed their brother healed, but he allowed the situation to worsen because he wanted to demonstrate some things, to teach them to have deeper faith, the kind of faith that believes even when things look ridiculous! And of course they did, by the time Jesus got there Lazarus’ dead body had been in the tomb four days. They didn’t want to roll away the stone because of the smell of his dead body!
Maybe that’s what your situation is like, it has gotten so bad you don’t want to tell anyone about it, it has the smell and look of death and hopelessness. As much as I hate to say it, I believe sometimes God allows situations to develop in this way for His glory. He is daring many us and asking us ‘will you believe Me now?’
You need to remember Jesus loved these people, and He loves you – never forget that, no matter how bad it gets, God has your best in mind. And as he develop faith and character in you He is gearing up to do a greater miracle than you ever thought He could!
And this was a test like no other for these people, their own precious brother had been allowed to die. The death of a loved one is the ultimate test. But Jesus had something great in mind, sometimes it’s the greater the test, the greater the testimony! And these people had quite a testimony when Jesus had finished with them! Even death itself could not trump the power of Jesus Christ. He said not only do I hold the trump card, I am the trump card!
And he challenged those people, every one of them, “If you can believe.” I’m telling you faith in Jesus Christ changes impossible circumstances! Your faith is the detonator that unlocks that explosive resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Jesus was saying if you can connect your situation to Me by faith, even death itself with not maintain it’s grip.
Finally, Jesus was preparing everyone for the day when He would die and rise from the dead. Remember your faith is in the Son of the living God, who died and rose from the dead. Death could not hold him in the grave and no circumstance you are facing can hold back God moving in your life. No matter what circumstances you are faced with today, be encouraged ‘it’s never too late for a miracle!’
If you enjoyed this word of encouragement, please feel free to sign up for future words of encouragement and updates of our ministry endeavors, by joining our mailing list on the home page of our website: www.barryraeburn.org
