John 11:21 – Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:32 – Now when Marcy came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
What do you do when the answer is no or not yet, when the outcome is vastly different than what you expected or anticipated? Mary and Martha, grieving the untimely death of their brother, approached Jesus with the same question, ‘Why didn’t you come sooner?’ Mary and Martha had no doubt that Christ was the Messiah. They had no doubt he could heal because they saw him do it before. They had evidence that he possessed a power not of this world. And now their sick brother needed a touch of that power, and had Jesus simply been there a few days sooner things would be different, Lazarus would be alive. We have seen evidence of God’s sovereignty. We have seen him change the hearts of man. We have seen him open closed doors. We have seen him bless and promote. We have seen him display extraordinary mercy and love to those who don’t deserve it. However, what happens when the prayer goes unanswered, or the miracle doesn’t happen, or he allows pain and suffering? What then? Is God still sovereign? Is he still perfect in all of his ways when what he does isn’t in line with our will or our time? The answer is a resounding, Yes! God is indeed sovereign. Meaning, the authority and power he wields knows no error or defeat. It is final and it is good. God’s timing is without fault. Scripture tells us that God does whatever he pleases. There are no’s that please God. There is suffering that pleases God. There are delays that please God. Faith in God is less about favorable outcomes that align with our hopes and wishes and more about aligning our hearts with this timeless truth: God is infinite in his wisdom, knowledge, and power, and allows all things for the sake of us experiencing his glory.
With Sincerity 