Day 78 - Waiting and more waiting

John 11:5-7

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

Have you ever needed to be somewhere quickly and the person you’re with doesn’t quite seem to understand the time-sensitive nature of the issue? Have you ever said, ‘Now!’ and the person you’re with doesn’t quite grasp that when you say you need to go ‘now’ you mean ‘now’?

 Yesterday we looked at Mary and Martha’s decision to run to Jesus and to call on him in their time on need. 

 I feel it needs saying that Jesus’ timing can be ever so slightly (read: very) different from ours. 

 In verse 4 Jesus has found out that Lazarus is sick and he announces the very confident statement that, ‘This sickness will not end in death.’ Great news! But then we read that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, so when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. You read that right, Jesus hears that Lazarus, who he loves, is sick, and he makes this confident statement that to me sounds like it might require some kind of action, some level of urgency on his part, and yet he just stays where he is for two more days.

 Why? I have absolutely no idea.

If we jump back to Mary and Martha they’re sat watching their brother get sicker and sicker and they’re left waiting.

Maybe you’re waiting for a breakthrough, waiting for a miracle waiting for healing, waiting for something to do with relationships or work or for something on behalf of someone else. Waiting is tough going. Fortunately, you’re in good company, the Bible is full of people waiting. And the One you're waiting on has a good track record: he made the world you’re waiting in, he’s kind, he’s good and he’s faithful. 

Prayer - Faithful God, I don’t always understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, but I choose to trust you again today. Please give me new strength and fresh hope as I wait today. 

Martha Goshawk
Gas Street Team