When God Says "Wait"

As a society, we don't like to wait.

We have fast food restaurants, quick service coffee bistros and even drive-thru wedding chapels.  Billboards for hospitals advertise short emergency room waiting and some even have digital timers to tell you how quick to expect service.

People began e-mailing because regular mail took to long.  Cell phone conversations gave way to instantaneous text messages.  Disney invented the Fast Pass program so you could avoid waiting in long lines for rides.

We hate to wait.

So when God asks us to wait, it's difficult.

That's where Mary and Martha found themselves facing the imminent death of their brother, Lazarus.  As he grew sicker and sicker, they sent a messenger to get Jesus.  "Come quickly.  Lazarus is dying."

Mary and Martha were sure Jesus would rush over and heal him.

Except Jesus didn't.

Lazarus died without Jesus ever walking into town.  Jesus didn't come while Lazarus was dying.  He wasn't there when his life expired.  Jesus didn't even make it to the funeral.  In their hour of need, Jesus didn't come.

We see their frustration when he arrives days later.  "If you had been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died," they both said separately to Jesus. 

They struggled with waiting.  They waited for something that didn't come.  Jesus never healed Lazarus.  He never placed his hands on him or touched his garments or took away the illness.  Jesus didn't do what Mary and Martha expected.

He did so much more. 

He never healed Lazarus but he raised him from the dead.  He did so after four days when there would be no doubt of Lazarus' condition.  And in the process, he changed the faith of his friends.

You see, they believed Jesus could heal, but they never asked for a resurrection.  They assumed that wasn't possible.  But, with Jesus, nothing is impossible.

When Jesus called out to Lazarus it must have blown their minds.  In fact, so many people were astounded, that they put their faith in Jesus that very day.

Had Jesus shown up on time, Lazarus would be healed, but faith would have been stunted.  People would not have believed like they did.  Jesus made them wait so they could see what God was up to.

When we ask for something, sometimes God makes us wait.  We lament and cry, but yet, God still calls us to wait.  Why?

Perhaps he's growing our faith.  Perhaps he's about to do something that's never been before.

Or perhaps he just wants you to pay attention, listen and see what he's up to.


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