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Always in a Hurry
Andrea Lende • Mar 26, 2021
John 11:5-6
Always in a Hurry
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Always-in-a-Hurry-etj0jt
John 11:5-6
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.]”
“Therefore, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was.”
It seems I am always in a hurry.
In a hurry to get the chores done because there are so many more things I’d rather be doing.
In a hurry to get to the next phase of life or next phase of work.
In a hurry for God’s miracle.
But being hurried doesn’t allow for God’s best for me.
In the case of our passage today, Jesus wanted to allow time to pass so that He could eventually show Himself mighty.
His plan was to let Lazarus die.
This is seemingly the worst possible outcome for Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.
It would be the worst possible outcome that we could foresee for ourselves and our family as well.
But Jesus saw this as an opportunity not a final outcome.
He was going to use this to help increase the belief of His disciples and those who followed Him.
He was going to turn this devastation into a miracle.
He would give Mary and Martha their brother back.
He would teach them that He was, in fact, the Messiah and their belief would increase exponentially.
They would never again question His authority or His majesty.
And we have an amazing opportunity to read about the Lord’s power, might, and majesty as well!
I was very encouraged as I read our passage today because I have some deadlines for some things which are very important to me.
As such, the stress begins to form, and I become uncomfortable.
I find myself in a hurry once more.
But a beautiful peace came over me as I read how the Lord chose to linger before going to Lazarus.
He chose to take His time so He could show Himself magnificent instead of simply able to cure Lazarus of an illness.
He had a plan two thousand years ago, and He has a plan for me as well.
And His plan is far more beautiful and wonderful than mine.
Today I choose to rely on the Lord, His timing, and His miracles to show Himself magnificent in my life.
May you find the Lord is working out all your circumstances beautifully even though you may not yet see how He is working it all out.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me You are working out all the circumstances in my life according to Your perfect plan. Thank You for reminding me that I may not see what You are doing, but You are most certainly working out something beautiful. Help me stop hurrying and worrying and replace all the feelings of dis-ease with Your peace. Keep my eyes on You instead of the problems in my life. Grant me patience and perseverance, Lord. Keep my spirit Yours as this world tries to steal me from You. Help me serve You with joy today, Father. May Your Holy Spirit fill mine to overflowing. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM working out all the circumstances in your life perfectly for my glory, My child.
Response: Help me wait on You, Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.