Jesus doesn't always act the way we expect

"Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  3Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”4When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

                                                                        John 11:1-4.  NKJV

When Jesus received word that their brother was sick, one would have felt that He would have dropped everything and raced off to be with His dear friend but, He didn't, He told His disciples that He would wait two days and then go to Him. It seemed, to His disciples and others, a very strange thing to do, but they were coming to terms with the behaviour.

When He finally went to Bethany where Lazarus and his sisters were, Jesus found that Lazarus had died and Martha was quite broken and disappointed that He had not gone over there in haste. However, Jesus had initially said that Lazarus' sickness was not unto death. He didn't mean that he wouldn't die - He knew he would. But the outcome of this sickness would not be final. Lazarus would rise again to the glory of the Father, This was the real part of this situation, to his family and friends, Lazarus had died but, God is greater than death. He knew He would raise him up to the glory of God.

We learn something here. We would have thought that Jesus would have gone to Lazarus immediately, but He delayed this. His delays are not Him saying, 'I won't do that'. We need to be patient and wait for Him to act. What are you waiting for Him to do? You may have a real problem and the only one who can help is Jesus. However, your prayers seem to go unanswered. Don't assume that He has denied your requests. Remember what happened in Bethany that day and wait and be patient. 'Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!'   Psalm 27:14. God may be wanting you to wait because, this is a learning curve for you. Don't miss it.

Finally, when the time was right, Jesus visited the tomb. Despite being told not to get too close because of the stench of rotting flesh (11:39), Jesus went forth and in a loud voice commanded that Lazarus come forth. And he did. Don't ever become anxious because of the waiting period. Yes, it can be tedious, but it can be very delightful when you receive what you have been waiting for.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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