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July 12 Daily Devotional

A God Glorifying Time of Waiting

Frans Bakker

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. —John 11:6

Bible Reading

John 11:1–7

Devotional

The Lord Jesus heard that His friends in Bethany were in need. Lazarus whom He loved was sick. They asked Him to come to heal him. But instead of coming, He waited two days. It seemed that the Lord had forgotten His friends. But the Lord does not forget His people. They may not be answered, but they are heard. He sees their tears. He hears their supplications. He listens to their sighs. Their needs can never be hidden from the eyes of an all-knowing God. God will never break the ties of friendship.

Sometimes the Lord waits to answer our prayers and it can seem that He does not hear His people. Sometimes he waits because their need has not yet become full. They can think their need is full and they will quickly cry, “Lord, we cannot take it anymore.” But the Lord Himself will determine when their need is full and He assesses this according to His divine wisdom. Although the water will not rise above the lips, it must come to the lips.

The need was not yet great enough in the Bethany home. The sickness had to become death. Lazarus had to die and be buried. The situation, from a human perspective, had to be beyond hope. The crowds said, “Lord, he stinketh” (John 11:39). Jesus let them wait for Him and He did so that His Name would be glorified (John 11:4). God’s Name is more glorified in the raising of a dead person from the grave than in the healing of sickness. The ultimate reason for the Lord’s delay was God’s glory.

The Lord has a people on earth in whom He glorifies His Name. Therefore, His people must learn to seek above all the glory of God’s Name in their lives, even if the way is death. At their grave His Name will be magnified, because God’s grace is nowhere glorified as much as in the death of His people. When according to man, nothing more can be done, then God will still give full deliverance.

God deals with His people in this manner not in spite of, but because they are His friends. The greatest miracles He reveals to His dearest friends. Or better said: by means of the greatest miracles the Lord leads people to become His dearest friends. But they only see this when these two days are behind them. His greatest deliverance will be fully seen when these “two days” are gone forever.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.

 

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