“But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause- Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. He gives rain on the earth, And, sends waters on the fields. He sets on hight those who are lowly, And, those who mourn are lifted to safety…” Job 5:8-11 NKJV
Our God is an all powerful God who has no limits to His supernatural powers. He is an all encompassing God with enormous feelings for His children. His love and dedication throughout the age has been recorded within His word, and continues to this day in all aspects of our lives. But, sometimes God seems to be “absent” from our requests or prayers. In other words, we may offer up a prayer or an urgent request and it may seem like He isn’t listening when He doesn’t respond. I DON’T THINK SO…God is ALWAYS listening, and always working on our behalf.
Take the story of Lazarus. Martha sent word to Jesus that her brother was ill, hoping that Jesus would come and cure him. She prayed, hoped and waited for the “cure.” It seemed he had forsaken her. Instead, quite the opposite. God wanted to show in no uncertain terms that Jesus could and would defeat death. That death in fact, had no power over Jesus…and that God controlled all outcomes. God illustrated that point with Lazarus’ death. When Jesus showed up, Lazarus was dead four days. Jesus wept in compassion at seeing Mary and Martha sobbing. Martha said, “Lord had you been here, my brother would not have died.“ But, Jesus knew what He had to do, and the reason for “His delay” which resulted in the death of Lazarus. It was to glorify His Father, and to show that which His Father commanded He do…show that He would defeat death. And, behold, He did. “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. (John 11:41-43 KJV)
The story of Lazarus can pertain to what’s going on within our lives today in different scenarios. It’s when we hear “silence” that “His voice can be the loudest.” It’s when we feel stifled in our attempts to get His attention, is when “He is fully focused on us.” It’s when we are laboring in our journey, floundering and helpless, when “He is guiding our footsteps and holding us up and delivering us.” It is when we are at our weakest when “He is stongest” in His attempts to secure us and bring forth the “Light” to shine into our “dark moments” in life. Or, more to the point…He is ALWAYS there every single solitary second of our lives. From our first breath, to our last.
So, in this coming Year, know that He is with you at all times. He always “hears, listens, and works within the principles of His doctrine and His holy ways, in order to bring about the best possible outcome for His children.”
Stay focused in His word, never doubt Him, and always run to Him for all things. His “game book” the Holy Bible is the answer to everything in life, as is prayer, trust and faith in the one and only Living God.
Silence? Be happy, that’s God at His finest…
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11 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
(John 11:1-45 KJV)
Beautiful bird and nature by GOD – picture captured by Scott Birge~