For God’s glory
When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4
Recently, the entire world came out of a pandemic. It was a terrible disease and sadly, many people died from it. As individuals, everyone did what they could to not contract the disease. We washed our hands frequently, wore face masks and maintained a recommended distance from other people. Still, many got it just the same. After the first two years, our guard was let down and even though the plague was still out there, a lot less people died. Then last year, I went away on a trip to a convention where I was around a lot of people and flew in an airplane. When I got back home, you guessed it . . . I came down with the symptoms and because of my work, I had to test to determine that I was indeed infected. My head hurt and I was tired, but my symptoms were mild. Most of all I was annoyed that I could not live life as I normally did. By the 3rd day, I was feeling pretty bad. I had a big weekend coming and had a lot to do to get ready for it. I had asked the Lord to heal my body, but had felt no relief up to that point. So when I got up that morning, my body hurt like it had never hurt before. Every joint and muscle was so sore like I had been beaten up the day before. I was only up a short while when I told my husband. I have to go lay back down. When I did, I called out to God again. This time, I did not ask for healing though, I asked for strength. I said, “Holy Spirit, please give me the strength I need today to get the things done that I need to do.” I felt myself slipping back into sleep and in that very instant, I felt pain leaving my body. I literally felt it leave. It was like strength came back to every connection point inside of me. I sat up and felt completely normal with not pain or symptom left. I am convinced it was a miracle!
In today’s reading, Jesus’ good friend, Lazarus was sick. When Jesus heard about it, He emphatically said “that sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God.” He followed that statement by clarifying that it was not the sickness that was for God’s glory, but that through the work that Jesus was going to do, God would receive all the glory. That is exactly what happened. It didn’t look good for Lazarus, and even when it looked like all hope was lost, God still showed up and did a miracle. Lazarus was not only healed, but he was also raised from the dead. Glory to God!
What if we began to approach every set back, sickness and struggle with the mentality that this circumstance is not here to kill me, but it is here so that God can be glorified through my life and through my victory? What if we made a conscience effort to recognize that God is on our side and is going to bring me through to victory what ever we are facing so that He is seen by the world and glorified through our life? It would, at minimum empower us to view problems in a new light and give hope each time we face something that He is going to bring us through it for His glory.
Today, I want to encourage you that if you are going through a fight in your life right now that you call out to your Father in heaven. Just as Lazarus’ sisters called for Jesus to come and heal him up, call out to Him for hope and help. It may not come immediately. Even Jesus waited for two days before He started traveling to the family at Bethany, but He did go to them, and He will come to rescue you, too. Call on Him today and let God be given the glory for every victory you experience in your day to day living.
Today’s scripture reading: John 11:1-7
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
The Daily Dose 