When he [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:6, 14–15, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Do you ever find yourself wishing that God had the same sense of urgency about your problems as you did? If we’re honest, I think the answer to that question would be a resounding yes. Do you ever find yourself saying, “for [my] sake I am glad [He did] not?” Maybe not a resounding yes, this time.
“For [our] sake?” Absolutely! We may not realize it at the time, but in retrospect (which may not be in this lifetime), we will see that this was so. Martha and Mary did not have to wait that long, but no matter how long the wait, when God’s hand is in it, it will be worth the wait. But all too often we let “the urgent things crowd out the important.” (Charles E. Hummel, “Tyranny of the Urgent”).
For Lazarus, being healed of his sickness was urgent, but being raised from the dead was important. It is very unlikely to see this repeated in our lives. But there are many times that enduring a sickness or other trouble is more important than the urgency of being cured or spared.
My Advice – Patience, in any context, is not easy to cultivate. But in a spiritual context, it is a fruit of Spirit. “Make every effort” to cultivate it.
The Brew Is A Musing 