Recently I was reading “Always Loved” and the author, Brent Lokker, was recounting fun encounters of God showing up and encountering people while He was in Brazil ministering. There was a girl who had no eyebrows after ripping them out in anxiety after her parents divorce. Not only did the divorce cause shame but now so did her lack of eyebrows. He wasn’t expecting these eyebrows to grow back immediately but still he prayed for a creative miracle from God that these eyebrows would be healed and full.
The next morning this girl came in elated. There was a quarter inch of hair growth where once damage hair follicles refused to let hair grow. He made an observation as he saw God’s hand move in a big way, quickly, “…it was exactly what this princess needed to assure her of the love that was proclaimed over her just eight hours previously.”
As I read that I had so many thoughts. I began thinking of miracles where God moved immediately. I began thinking of the times where He didn’t move immediately.
But then I thought of Lazarus. This story has fascinated me for years. Even as I type this up, it makes me tear up. Let me explain. So in this incredible story, Jesus’ good friend Lazarus is greatly sick. Someone comes to Him to tell Him and what the Bible says next strikes me. John 11:5-6 says, “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.”
WHAT?!
This is an instance where it is quite evident that I do not think like He thinks. If someone I loved greatly was ill and I could heal them, I would be there in a heart beat. But the beautiful thing about Jesus is He ONLY did what He saw His Father doing. He loved them and because He did, He waited. So why would wait? How could that possibly be love?
I think it tied to verse 40 of the same chapter. Here Jesus is talking to Martha. She is frustrated. She knows that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would have lived. And then Jesus says something that simply blows my mind. It shatters preconceived notions. Jesus says to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” hahahahhahah My response to God seems to be a laugh often. This agreement with Him and His otherworldly way of thinking. Jesus waited, let His friend die and his friends suffer loss, because He wanted them to see the glory of God in a way they had never seen before.
Do you know that sometimes things have to die so that they can be raised to newness of life? Do you know that sometimes He shows up immediately because that is what your heart needs? Do you know that conversely, sometimes He delays because He wants to show you His glory in your situation that seems impossible?
I find myself in a place where I am waiting. Waiting for much longer than I expected to. Waiting all the while the situation seems to grow in impossibility. It becomes more and more overwhelming to remember that sometimes He waits because He wants to show off. He loves to show up and show off! As I sit here in the waiting, I see my ability to make my own way not just die but rot in the ground with no hope of resurrection. There is no way that I can move any of the places where He has promised some pretty big stuff. He is letting that “doer” part of me shrivel and die. What is He letting die in your life so He can show off His glory?