Dead Not Dead: Waiting for God’s Glory

“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.” (John 11:4-6)

Sometimes God waits. He doesn’t seem to be doing anything. The clock keeps ticking until its too late for him to answer our prayer the way we deeply hoped he would. Why? What is the problem? Did he not hear us?

deadnot_350Jesus got the message. He heard from the sisters that Lazarus was sick, and he caught the unspoken request: “Come and save him. Hurry.” And still he waited. He stalled for the glory of God.

We can be just as confident that God gets our messages, even when we’re not sure how to pray. Romans 8:26-27 describes how God uses his Spirit in us to perfectly deliver every message so that it arrives with his full understanding and even in step with his will. God doesn’t say no because his e-mail was down. He hears us. And he loves us just as much as Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

And, still, sometimes he waits or just says “no.” More tomorrow.

Think: Have you ever felt like God wasn’t hearing your prayer? Or like he didn’t care because he didn’t step in and answer as you hoped? How can you be confident that he hears and that he loves you even when he doesn’t respond the way you expect?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be confident that he is tuned into your requests and that he loves you deeply.

Do: If you haven’t recently, read Romans 8:26-28.