4-24-16 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Read
John 11:4
John 11
John 12

God's Plan

Are you frustrated that God isn’t answering a specific prayer? Is it hard to trust Him with it? Today’s reading is a great reminder that Jesus has a bigger plan and it’s on His timetable. Whether He answers our prayer the way we want or not, we can trust God will do what is best. It’s easy to say that, isn’t it? May God use this passage to help us trust Him more. See if you identify with Martha and Mary as you read John 11 and 12.

Reflection:

How did you identify with Martha and Mary? As you consider your seemingly unanswered prayers, ask God for His perspective and the strength to follow. God doesn’t always follow our timelines, but He is always good. We can trust Him, no matter what our circumstances look like.

I can't think of a current prayer request that I'm frustrated about because it's unanswered. But in reading about the sisters, I would relate more to Martha because while Jesus was trying to answer her need, she kept giving His words a spiritual interpretation when Jesus literally wanted to resurrect her brother then and there. I tend to over-spiritualize too

I gotta learn when God's answers are literal take-action-now directives, and when they're figuratively referring to something else possibly in the future if ever in my lifetime...

John 12:43 always stops me in my tracks. "For they loved the approval of man rather than the approval of God." It reminds me of fearing no one but God. I don't want to love the approval of anyone more than the approval of God.

Another thing that strikes me is how everything is for Gods glory-so that people would believe. The death and resurrection of Lazarus, the death and resurrection of Jesus. I pray that what I am praying for and waiting for will give glory to God in the end.

It's also a reminder of how some people's hearts are hardened so that no matter what miracle they witness they still won't believe.

Jesus says, " your brother will rise again." and Martha replies with what most faithful Christians would say today - "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." But Jesus replies with power - I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Martha had her mind on the temporal and the timeline. Jesus replied from the eternal and brought eternity into that moment.