"Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died"
Is Martha's tone one of accusation? Or is it one of faith?
Jesus' friend Lazarus lay dying, and his sisters, Martha and Mary, sent word to Jesus; but Jesus did not come immediately to his friend's bedside. . The text for All Saints' Day tells us that Jesus remained where he was for two more days. By the time he arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Neither Martha nor Mary could have anticipated what Jesus was about to to (to bring Lazarus out from the grave), but were they being accusatory -- or were they expressing deep faith in Jesus' ability as a healer?
The question for us becomes: How do we call out for God in times of deep distress? Do we accuse God of being absent or too late? When we cry out, "Oh God," is i from a place of deep faith that acknowledges our utter reliance on God or is it from a place of skepticism?
Our scriptures tell us time and again that God is there with us; able to do all thins if only we had enough faith, and yet, is that not the stumbling place for most of us? Have we enough faith to utterly rely on God when torment swirls around us or when we are bone weary from grief, or when the Tempter lures us into the excesses that the world offers?
However we respond to God, let it be our prayer that our faith must never be allowed to stagnate, but that it become a stronger and stronger part of who we are each time trials assault us.
God is with us -- always. Do we notice?
Scripture suggestion: John 11: 17-22
The question for us becomes: How do we call out for God in times of deep distress? Do we accuse God of being absent or too late? When we cry out, "Oh God," is i from a place of deep faith that acknowledges our utter reliance on God or is it from a place of skepticism?
Our scriptures tell us time and again that God is there with us; able to do all thins if only we had enough faith, and yet, is that not the stumbling place for most of us? Have we enough faith to utterly rely on God when torment swirls around us or when we are bone weary from grief, or when the Tempter lures us into the excesses that the world offers?
However we respond to God, let it be our prayer that our faith must never be allowed to stagnate, but that it become a stronger and stronger part of who we are each time trials assault us.
God is with us -- always. Do we notice?
Scripture suggestion: John 11: 17-22
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