"EVEN NOW!"

February 2, 2005

"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.'" John 11:1-3

JESUS CARES

Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Twice, in just a few verses (v3, v5), we learn that Jesus cared deeply for the sisters and their brother. It's important for us to acknowledge this because, otherwise, the family's circumstances and Jesus' initial response to them might cause us some bewilderment. We can depend on the Lord's love to be our strong foundation in times of trouble. In times of desperation and devastation, we can rely completely on Jesus.


NEGLIGENCE OR KNOWLEDGE

Jesus was in close proximity to the village where Lazarus lay extremely ill. It was perfectly achievable for Jesus to go and visit Lazarus and heal him from whatever sickness or disease was afflicting him. However, despite the severity of the situation, Jesus delayed His visit to Lazarus for two days and, in the interim period, Lazarus passed away.

Without a firm underpinning of Jesus' love in our lives, God's timing and chosen method of response might seem puzzling and, perhaps initially, frightening to us.

Do we look at delay and become concerned that the Lord is somehow negligent in our circumstances? Jesus' disciples also wrestled with similar questions.

One evening, during a terrible storm, the Lord and the disciples were out in a boat on the lake. The Lord was completely exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, the waves and the wind became higher and the disciples became exceedingly afraid. Still the Lord slept on, utterly spent and unable to waken.

When the Lord did not immediately awaken, the disciples cried out in terror, "Don't you care about us, Lord?" Jesus stood up, commanded the waves and the water to be still, and restored peace in the elements and peace in the hearts of His men. Both Jesus' actions and His words demonstrated the depth of His love for them and the authority given to Him by Father God.

Jesus is not neglectful; he has intimate knowledge of every detail and facet of our lives. Jesus has the words of life and knowledge that are our anchor in life's storm, which bring us out of defeat and into victorious living. When doubts and anxieties arise in our hearts, the Lord wants to reassure us and give us peace. At times like these, we just need to rest in the love of God and remember to trust Jesus. Jesus comes to us today and says to the storms that rage around us, "be still." Precious one, receive His peace.


KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE: WORD OF KNOWLEDGE

Jesus had the word of knowledge about Lazarus' life locked deep in His heart. He knew that, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." John 11:4

The Lord wants us to view our lives through this Kingdom perspective that, no matter what we face, He is our everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. We need to ask the Lord for His perspective in our circumstances.


WALK BY LIGHT

"Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has not light." John 11:9, 10

Life is not always sunshine and laughter. There are times when our hearts are broken by unexpected tragedy. At such times we may stumble and be in great need of God's help and healing. It is possible to become so preoccupied by circumstance that one can forget to focus fully on Jesus.

However, it is not with a rebuke, but with words of tenderness that the Lord beckons to us, calling us out from the shadow of melancholy into the glorious Light of His love. The shadows may be feelings of doubt, helplessness, hopelessness, heartbreak, or fear. They may be shadows of worthlessness, shame, pain, or loss of vision. In our weakness, we come to Jesus, in whom we find rest for our souls and hope for our hearts. We do not need to feel strong and have all or, indeed, any of the answers.

Jesus is THE answer. He is our ever present strength and shield. Jesus is compassionate towards us and loves us with an everlasting love. Jesus is with us whether we are aware of His manifest presence or not. His promise to us is that He will never leave us or forsake us -- no matter what. There is nothing in heaven or earth that can separate us from His love.

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." John 11:11


EVEN NOW - MARTHA, A CHAMPION OF FAITH!

"On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. '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.'" John 11:17-22


EVEN NOW!

What an incredible transition for Martha! Martha had once been disciplined by the Lord for having a wrong attitude towards Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus, whilst Martha was busy around the house (Luke 10:38-42).

Here was Martha, now a champion of faith, being the first to make her way towards Jesus. Martha's heart was overshadowed with sorrow at the sudden death of her brother, yet she pursued the presence of Christ in her difficult circumstances. Her attitude towards Jesus was one of love and respect. She did not blame Jesus for her brother's death or look for someone to accuse. She refused to feel sorry for herself, but instead, chose to hope in Christ, being full of faith for her dead brother to be healed.

Her magnificent words, "even now," are surely a wake up call to the depths of our beings, to rise up and say "even now," Lord we will believe you for a miracle in our personal situations, whatever they may be. Even when all looks dark, as we are confronted with death and despair, as we weep with those who are suffering, will we say, "even now!" Jesus is our strong deliverer, the Resurrection, and the Life.


by Catherine Brown
Founder, Gatekeepers Prayer & Mission
www.gatekeepers.org.uk
www.millionhoursofpraise.com
Email: Catherine@gatekeepers.org.uk

   ~~~~

CATHERINE BROWN'S ITINERARY:

March 17, 2005
Pray on St Patrick's Day
www.prayonstpatricksday.com

March 17-20, 2005
Conference: Embrace Nos Coers, Paris, France

April, 2005
California, USA (dates and venues to be confirmed)

May 15, 2005
J2 - A day for children to pray (Sheffield, England, UK)


 

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