Daily Devotional For Saturday, March 1, 2025

Where did this week go? Whew it flew by faster than warp speed. All of us have had life come at us unexpectedly. We talked some about this in yesterday’s devotional. We like to be in the “know” so we can be prepared. But sometimes God forces us to wait on His timing. We tend not to be patient people when it comes to time. We find ourselves fuming in slow traffic, slow lines, slow service at a restaurant and even sometimes what appears to be slow worship services or sermons. But patience is not anything we can produce. It is a product of the indwelling Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit. Look at Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (NASB).

This means if we are living obedient lives, the Holy Spirit is producing the fruit of patience in our lives that helps us deal with when life seems very slow or when God seems slow in His timing. We come to a story today where two sisters believe Jesus’ timing was off when their brother got sick and eventually died. In John 11, a family that is very supportive to Jesus and His ministry have a brother named Lazarus that gets sick. Look at John 11:3, “So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick’” (NASB). Now, most of us would think Jesus would drop everything and get to Lazarus as fast as He could,but Jesus does not. Why? 

Jesus tells us in John 11:4-6, "But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.’ (5) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (6) So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was” (NASB). Now if you are Lazarus’s family, what would you be thinking at this point? 

So how do we reconcile Jesus’ intentional delay to John 11:5, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (NASB)? It doesn’t say fond of, liked, but loved. How could Jesus love this family so much and have the power to heal Lazarus, wait to go see them after Lazarus had been in his tomb for 4 days?

Why 4 days? In Jesus’ days Jews had this myth they believed as truth that once a person died, their spirit would hover around the grave for 3 days. If you could get a prophet of God or a man of God within those 3 days it was possible for God to use that person to bring your loved one back to life. After 3 days, meaning beginning the 4th day, it would be impossible. This is why Jesus waits until the 4th day to show up. 

When He gets there people are still wailing and mourning because in Jesus’ day it was common for family and friends to linger around the grave mourning up to a week or more. So, when Jesus gets there, He sees all this still going on around Lazarus’ tomb. Well, you know the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say. Jesus brings Lazarus back to life to convince His disciples and us of two truths. First, that He is the Messiah. Look at John 11:15, “Jesus said to His disciples, ‘I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him’” (NASB), Second, that He is the Resurrection and the Life. Look at John 11:25-26, “I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, (26) and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (NASB). 

Questions To Consider

1. When is a time in your life you felt you were waiting on God’s timing? How did you respond or deal with the waiting?
2. We do everything we can to get to someone who is sick and/or dying. If you were Mary, Martha and Lazarus, if you were in their shoes, who do you think you might have identified with as Jesus delayed His arrival at the news of Lazarus’ sickness?
3. Would you say you are a patient person? Would your family and/or friends say you are? Why or why not? Read Galatians 5:22-23 again. If you are impatient, what might this tell you as to why the fruit of patience seems to be missing in your life?
4. John 14:1 takes place in the Upper Room on the last night Jesus would be alive. They have no clue with the events that are about to unfold even though Jesus had warned them. Why do you think they missed this?
5. It has been said that you can either worship or you can worry. Which do you tend to do when things do not go your way? Why? What does this tell you about your trust of the Lord?

Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 43:5, “I ask myself, ‘Why am I so sad and upset and worried?’ I must wait patiently for God to help me. Then I will praise my God once again, because he is the one who saves me” (ETR).

Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, help me change and cooperate with You. I want Jesus to be Lord of my entire life—my body, spirit, mind, will, and emotions. Help me be obedient to Your Word. I repent, and I renounce panic, anxiety, worry, and unhealthy fear. Thank You for Your forgiveness and my new beginning today in freedom from worry! In Jesus' name, Amen.”

I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly