Today's Devotional Thought
May 03, 2010 by Rachel Piferi
Pray Honestly
Have you ever felt like your prayers were bouncing off the sky? Like you were begging God for something, but it was like He wasn’t listening or didn’t care or wasn’t moving fast enough? Mary and Martha certainly felt that way when their brother Lazarus became sick and died.
In today’s famous story, we see John’s account of Lazarus’ death. As we saw on Friday, Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, were very dear friends of Jesus. And in today’s passage, we see that Martha called on Jesus when her brother Lazarus became sick. Due to her faith in Him, she knew that Jesus would be able to heal Lazarus.
From the story, we know that Jesus was about 20 miles away when Martha sent for him. And, we know that traveling that far would take about one day. So, you figure that it took a day for someone to take the message from Martha to Jesus and it would take a day for Jesus to get to Lazarus. And, we see in John’s account of the story, that Jesus waited 2 days when he heard the news before he left to go see Lazarus.
I can imagine Martha knowing how long it would take to get the message to Jesus and knowing how long it would take for Jesus to come back. And, I can imagine her disappointment at the end of that second day when Jesus did not arrive. And then again at the end of the third day, when Jesus did not arrive again.
It is no wonder that Martha says the following to Jesus when he does finally arrive on the forth day: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.??? And, notice what she says right after that: “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
I just love the honest response that Martha gives Jesus. She starts with a complaint of sorts: Jesus, why didn’t you come when I asked? If you did it the way I wanted you to, then the outcome would have been different. Why Jesus? Why? And then she follows with belief in His power: But, I trust you Jesus. I know that you can do whatever you want and that you are all powerful and in control.
How often do we do the same thing? Jesus, I don’t understand why it’s taking this long. Why aren’t you acting fast enough? I trust you Lord and I know you are in control. But, why are you taking so long?
I think we can learn a lot from Martha’s statement to Jesus. First, I think God likes honest communication. Martha talks to Jesus in a very frank manner and we can too. Express your concerns, your confusion, and your desires. But, ultimately, express your dependence and trust in Him too.
Secondly, I think we can learn that no situation is ever hopeless. Martha very candidly says that Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had come sooner. But, she also acknowledges that Jesus can turn it all around if He wants to. From this, we can learn that no situation is hopeless for God. Sure, we may have seen (what we think is) a better way to fix it from the start, but God can fix anything at any time. And Martha knows that and expresses that to Jesus too.
When you face trials and situations that seem impossible, don’t be afraid to express your confusion to God. But also remember to recognize that God is in control and he is all powerful. So, when you are expressing your confusion, also express your trust in his plans and his power.
Be like Martha. Be candid. Be trusting.
December