Ps. 27-29
It is easy to feel, and thus to act, confident when things are going well. But David says in Ps 27:3, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.” That’s right – David claims confidence in his darkest moments! Why? Because his confidence is grounded in God, whom David knows to be wholly good. He knows this with his whole being, not just with head knowledge, but from a lifetime of personal experience.
But it is not enough just to say, “I will be confident.” To actually be something requires that one acts like that something. After a lengthy explanation of the basis for his confidence in the darkest of times, David prods himself to confident action, saying in vs 13-14, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD”! Yes, folks (note to self…), waiting is indeed an act of confidence in our good God.
John 11:1-29
In the first 4 verses of this passage, Jesus is told that his dear friend, Lazarus of Bethany is very sick. And verses 5-6 say, “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.” Wait, what??? He loved them, so He stayed where He was?? Shouldn’t that read, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So He immediately dropped what He was doing and rushed to Bethany.”?
My thought when I started reading this familiar passage, just before I noticed that strange wording, was that I wonder why Jesus chose this family to demonstrate His glory the way He did. Well there’s my answer – because He loved them. Why did He wait? Because He chose to honor them by using them for this very dramatic demonstration. Jesus could have just told people, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (vs25b-26). But how much more impact and meaning does the statement have with the physical demonstration behind it?
Yes, the traumatic experience of their brother’s death was an honor bestowed on them by God, so that they could be used for His glory. Let’s try to remember that next time we face the dark and the difficult and be grateful that God loves us and chooses to use us.