When we’re in our transitional, desert Land Between time following our ministry downsizing or position loss, we long for God to end our pain, to bring speedy closure to our situation.
Near the end of Chapter 4 of Fear Not Tomorrow, author Ruth Graham uses the Biblical account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 1-44) to remind us of God’s greater purpose in our adversity, that He is with us in our grief, and to refocus us from the temporal to the eternal. God is never in a hurry, nor is His goal to meet our expectations.
Ruth notes that often our first response, like that of Mary and Martha, is telling our Lord that He let us down. We’re confused and angry because Jesus isn’t doing what we want or expect Him to do. Jesus’ response is to enter into our pain with us, as a prelude to leading us out of our pain in order to reveal a greater glory.
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, this miracle resulted in a groundswell of faith among those who witnessed the event. Through their suffering and pain, Mary and Martha were part of God’s eternal purpose and greater glory.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.”- Isaiah 40: 31
