In John 11 we read of the sickness and death of Lazarus. Jesus had been told well in advance of the serious illness of his friend. But instead of coming immediately to heal him, Jesus waited several days before he came to visit. Our Savior knew well in advance that Lazarus would soon die. When he finally arrived in Bethany, the first thing Martha said was, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” John 11:21. A few minutes later Mary told Jesus as well, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” John 11:32. Filled with emotion, Jesus wept with his friends and then raised Lazarus from the dead. Why did Jesus not heal his friend Lazarus before he died? Jesus said, “This is done for the glory of God, that the Son of Man may be glorified through it” John 11:4.
Do you ever have times where you wish you could stand in God’s place and do his job? If I could be in his place for only an hour, I would heal so many from their diseases, change so many financial situations, and fix so many of the problems that plague my friends and loved ones. But God in his wisdom knows more than I do and accomplishes more than I understand. He operates with an unseen hand to bring glory to himself and faith to our hearts. God is in control and will bring glory to himself through the moving of the Ages.
My task is to be a person of faith. While I may like Mary and Martha remind God, “If you had been here, then _________ would not have happened,” my job is to cling to the Lord until he brings about the end that he intends. Doing this requires a huge amount of faith, a good deal of patience and a healthy dose of humility. When I made my commitment to my Savior through baptism, I showed by my actions that I trusted God to keep his promises. Through the years my faith has grown as God has worked in my life and the life of others to bring glory to the Lord’s cause. The Bible reminds us “all things work together for the good…” Romans 8:28. And while I don’t always see it from my perspective, I know there’s an all-knowing hand moving the tide of history.
