October 7 -- John 11: 1-7 "Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill.' But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, 'Let us go to Judea again.'"
Prayer focus for today: When reading today's Scriptures, were you struck, like me, with a seemingly odd disconnection of ideas? It tells us Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but then it continues with, 'so, when he heard Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where He was.' (We can suppose this wasn't just a common head cold or just feeling run down, but a pretty major illness, since the sisters went to the trouble of sending word to Jesus; they were looking for help.)
When was the last time someone you knew was really ill, and you delayed two days before going to them? Especially when you were within walking distance. A short distance usually means you would go to see the person, if possible. To make sense of this seeming disconnect, we only have to look backward a few verses. Jesus' reply when receiving word of Lazarus' illness was, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' Jesus knew Lazarus was ill before He even heard the words, and He already knew the outcome of that illness.
Most of us can think of someone close to us who is facing a great health challenge right now. Chances are good that you have been praying for this person, but have you been anticipating the way in which God will be glorified through the situation from beginning to end? Pray today for eyes to see the bigger picture. Absolutely keep praying for the ill person and all the details of their suffering, but truly pray that you and the ill person will be able to keep their eyes on the bigger picture. For some reason, God is allowing the suffering ... just wait to see how He is glorified through each step of the difficult journey. Pray that you can be the encouragement the person needs to recognize God's hand in each up and down of their struggle. Praise God that He always has a perfect plan in everything!
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