March 11
Bible Reading: John 11:1-16
John 11:6, “So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”
John 11:25, “Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”
I sometimes joked that my baby brother could catch a steelhead even if there were none in the river! He was hooked on fishing and, sadly, hooked also on drugs. He’d struggled with that since his teenage years. But then things seemed to turn a corner, as he was staying clean and had even found a job and a girlfriend. So, we were all shocked and devastated when, at the age of 31, he took his life. My mom was heartbroken, wondering, “Why God?” I regretted that I’d perhaps missed an opportunity to speak with my brother beforehand. Illness and death frequently work to birth many “Why God?” and “If only” questions.
So it was with Martha: “If only you’d been here, Lord, my brother would not have died!” But Jesus had purposely delayed his arrival for two days after He received the news of Lazarus’ illness. One can only imagine what must have been going through their minds as they waited! They’d sent for Jesus, but they’d gotten no word and then Lazarus died. They were no doubt wondering why and if Jesus truly cared.
It wasn’t for lack of love or concern, but “for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters before, during, and after Lazarus’s illness. Martha’s “if only” is the all-too-common sentiment of those who have suffered loss. But God did care and had His own purposes in what was transpiring!
God used my brother’s death to turn my mom’s heart to Jesus. Devastated by her loss, she looked to the only One who could save her from her sins and heal her broken heart. Some years later, doctors diagnosed mom to have an aggressive and painful form of cancer. Knowing Jesus, she fought that four-month battle with much God-given courage and hope. And then she died. But she died trusting Jesus.
At mom’s request, I wrote this for my brother’s gravestone: “Like a raging river, rushing to the whelming sea, he has found his destination with the God of love and peace.” We can’t always know the answers to our “Why God?” questions. But we know God is sovereign, and that God is good, and with that knowledge we can trust Him even when we don’t understand (Psalm 119:68, Romans 8:28).
“Christ knows best at what time to do anything for His people.” — J. C. Ryle
BE STILL, MY SOUL
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul; when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the veil of tears,
then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
from His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
LookingtoJesus 