Tag: Lazarus

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His Hand in Mine

krisshetter 
"Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Yesterday, I received bad news while at the doctor. For the last few years I have struggled with constant pain and pressure in my left ear. I’ve had two sinus surgeries, a surgery to release pressure in that ear, an eardrum repair surgery, and even recent upper wisdom teeth removal in hopes it would ease the pain on the left side of my face. After another bout of sinus issues, a few months ago the doctor told me I had another pinprick size hole in my left eardrum. He had hoped it would repair itself. The other night I thought I had an earwax problem so I used some solution to try and clear it — causing intense pain. 

So, yesterday I found myself at urgent care for the billionth time complaining about stabbing pain and muted hearing in the left ear. I prayed it would just be ear wax pushing against my eardrum. But after examining my ear the doctor announced my tiny hole was now quite large, again. I couldn’t help myself — I started crying. I probably damaged the ear trying to clear it. And I anticipate the only solution will be yet another painful surgery. Until then, my hearing is muffled and my ear is distractingly painful.

I walked out to my car feeling hopeless, again. Feeling like God doesn’t want me healed. I cried on the phone call to my husband. Beating myself up for probably causing the problem to worsen. Allowing that voice in my head to call me names and doubt the love of God. 

Our verse today comes at the end of events of Lazarus’ death and moments before his resurrection. It’s Jesus talking to Lazarus’s sister, Martha, who warns Jesus that removing the stone from the grave will reveal a terrible smell as her brother had been dead for 4 days.  Just before this meeting at the tomb Lazarus’ other sister, Mary, also fell at Jesus’ feet.

"When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32.

We all, at some point in our lives, have wanted Jesus to intervene for us. We have a plan, an expectation, that if He loved us He would see that plan through. At one point in my Christian journey I would’ve taken the news about my health and let it weigh on me for days or even weeks. ”Why won’t you heal me right now?” ”Don’t you see me, Lord?” Although God tells us to bring all our prayers and petitions before Him, He also wants us to have faith in His plan, not ours.

It may seem cruel that Jesus allowed Lazarus to die. For his family to suffer such pain and loss. God’s plan, however, needed a little bit of drama to catch the attention of many. What greater event than the raising of a clearly dead man? Imagine the astonishment, the celebration, the awe!

"Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him."  John 11:45

I don’t know what the next steps will be for my health. My ear may be permanently damaged or the doctors, with the guiding hands of God, may be able to repair it. It may even heal on its own (the glory of the Lord at work in our bodies each and every time we experience healing!). I do know I don’t want to be like “some of them (the Jews)” who, instead of seeing God’s hand at work raising Lazarus from the dead, went to the Pharisees and complained. Imagine that, they complained that a man was healing people, even from death!

Whatever comes to pass I want to see the glory of God working in me and through me– putting His hand in mine. I will rely on Him for strength when the pain overwhelms me. I will look to Him for peace when I begin to despair. I will remember that I am loved and not being “punished” when things go astray. I may cry, I may get sad, I may even worry at bit. He will help change the narrative in my head. And I will ask Him to guide me through this so I may reflect His beautiful light to others.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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First Love

krisshetter 
But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. 
Hosea 12:6

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a “doer.”  In the Bible, Martha is my spirit animal.  I can so easily picture myself cooking and cleaning all day, getting ready for Jesus to come for dinner.  Then while He is at my house I’m running around making sure the drinks are filled and people have enough to eat.  Cleaning up spills and getting a jump on doing the dishes.  All the while, slightly annoyed that others are sitting at His feet, enjoying His company while I slave away.  

There’s a lot of pride wrapped up in that thinking. And I’ve had to learn to accept my “doing” nature while learning two things: 1) accepting that other people are born to be the type to relax and soak up the moment and 2) learning how to balance being a doer and not missing out on those special moments.  Because Jesus admonishes us from His teachings in the gospels to His messages in Revelation to “return to our first love.”  Meaning, Him.

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 
Revelation 2:4

This was the message to the church in Ephesus.  They were doers.  They took James’ messages to heart.  They worked hard, served many and were also great at making sure false teachers didn’t enter their midst.  But they forgot to be in awe and wonder for the Lord.

How often, when we feel like we are moving away from our faith do we turn to “doing” more rather than taking up Mary’s approach – sitting in awe and wonder at His feet?

Wonders are things out of the common, unusual things, extraordinary things. Usually they are unexpected; we wonder at them partly because they are novel and surprising. They take us aback; they are things which we looked not for. When they come they astonish us, and put us both in a muse and in a maze. We look, and look, and look, and cannot believe our eyes; we hear, and hear, and scarce believe our ears. 

Charles Spurgeon

Sometimes I find myself listening to a story of wonder by a fellow Christian – a story where God has worked miraculously in their life – and I do a quick acknowledgement and move forward.  As though this moment where God touched their life was so humdrum ordinary!

In a commentary on the restoration of our first love – the awe and wonder of Jesus Christ – Warren Wiersbe challenges us to take these steps:

Remember what we have lost.

Think back to when we were so excited about our relationship with the Lord.  Remember when He has worked miraculously in our lives.  Recall when we cried during our singing at church while we lifted our hands up to Him!

Repent (Change) our minds.

Decide that we want that awe, wonder and love back!  It sounds obvious but if you haven’t done it yet, evaluate why.

Repeat your “1st Works.”

What are those?  It was when you were devoted to prayer, mediation, Bible reading, service in His name, and worship

Thankfully, the world and God need both Marthas and Marys.  When I get caught up in my “Martha-ness” I remember that Jesus had His own special relationship with Her.  It was Martha that ran out to meet Jesus after Lazarus had died.  She proclaimed to Him that she believed Him to be the Messiah, the Son of God.

For some people, life may be monotonous and meaningless; but it doesn’t have to be. For the Christian believer, life is an open door, not a closed circle; there are daily experiences of new blessings from the Lord.  

Warren Wiersbe

I want to always be in touch with my “First Love.”  I want to live with that sense of awe and wonder.  And when I feel it fading I need only to sit in quiet mediation and allow His Holy Spirit to rekindle the flame within me.

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Jesus, My Touchstone

krisshetter

The backdrop of our lives these last few months has been Covid but our “regular” lives haven’t stopped completely. What other trials have you experienced this year?
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On top of quarantine our family is facing cancer. My beloved mother in law has uterine cancer and has been receiving cancer treatments. Then after her 5th treatment she experienced another health emergency and was in the hospital for over a week. This incredibly vital, otherwise healthy, god-centered woman has really taken a hit. But her “down” days still are nothing of what I would expect of myself. She always has at least a glimmer of hope and trust. That’s why she is one of my touchstones.
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In John 12:9-11 the Jews were showing up in droves to meet Jesus and the man he had brought back from the dead. Lazarus was a powerful witness to Jesus’ divine authority. But the priests were threatened by this authority and looked to put Lazarus to death — again. There’s so many lessons in this vignette but I was struck with wondering what Lazarus must’ve been thinking. Here he had suffered a horrible illness and died. Then he was raised from the dead and now people wanted to kill him again because he was with Jesus. When was he going to get a break? And yet he stayed confidently with Jesus.
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When we are living witnesses of Jesus’ holy authority we are guaranteed to experience trials. When, in His name, we proclaim boldly what God wants for our lives we will be tested. But keeping Jesus firmly at our side will bring us through strengthened and loved.
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What are you being tested at today?
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