(Read John 11)
I could always relate to the Pastor we had over twenty years ago. He was about my age and from a region near where I grew up. We would often laugh at our loyalties to our miserable sports teams. After 9/11, he was instrumental in helping my family and me navigate through the pain and confusion that followed. In my many years of attending church, I only remember a handful of sermons well enough to retell.
His message was about God being present in all aspects of our life. Through the highs and lows, abundance and isolation. He told a story about a sailing trip he went on one sunny August afternoon. Leaving the calm seas of a protected harbor under harmless skies, he and some friends sailed into the Long Island Sound. The sound is a tidal estuary stretching 110 miles west to east and 21 miles wide, connecting Connecticut and Long Island, New York.
They were leaving the harbor as they approached the Sound, and he described it as a perfect late summer sunset. The lighting was so dramatic he claimed God must have painted it. Not long after, we were told about ominous, dark storm clouds rushing towards their boat. The storm was upon them so fast they didn’t have time to turn around and make it out of the sound in time. The winds and waves were ferocious. He said that everyone in the boat thought they were going under. “God was just as present in the danger of the storm as much as He was in the beauty of the sunset leaving the harbor,” he told us.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:2
Isaiah recounts God’s promise to be with us through every trial and tribulation. He will never abandon us, even when we feel like we’re drowning in our troubles or walking through the fires of affliction. He won’t abandon us because He promised He wouldn’t. Therefore, we can’t allow any of our challenges to overshadow His promises. God hasn’t promised we won’t struggle; His commitment is to stand by us in every storm He allows.
Our Pastor’s message closed with them returning to their boat slip, drenched, exhausted, and alive. He said that spiritually, it was eye-opening to see the same God through such drastic life experiences. His message stuck with me. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The godly have the best company in the worst places.” No trials we face are larger than what God can handle. He is there with us, for us, and in us.
On a rainy run this morning, I dedicated the entire time to an intimate conversation with God. In all honesty, I don’t like the rain. I hate it, actually, and always have. But to be fair, rainy days focus me more on Godly things than the distractions of bright, sunny days. I think more big-picture things. Rainy days remind me to face the sins of my past head-on, learn, and repent.
So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
John 11:3-4
While talking with Martha and Mary, Jesus pointed to a higher purpose—God’s glory. Lazarus’s illness and subsequent events, including Lazarus’ resurrection, would glorify God and demonstrate the power of Jesus — the Son of God. It was quite a powerful demonstration of Jesus’ authority over death.
So what is this glory all about? Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death immediately, but instead, He waited two more days before He would offer help and support. Two more days to see Lazarus. It wasn’t a lack of love or fear of crowds. Jesus knew what was on the other side of the rain. The resurrection of Lazarus wasn’t as much about healing as it was the purpose of Christ’s own resurrection powers.
During my soggy run, I had grey thoughts of the trespasses I’d done to others. Some things came to mind that I had dismissed decades ago. This is how we cope with our fallen behavior and live with ourselves. As the water soaked through my shoes into my socks, and the cool air reminded me what season it was, I thought more about rain. Rain is miserable, I thought. I thought about several overnight camping trips when everything was drenched. Not just me, but the tent, flysheet, sleeping bag, and extra clothes. It’s uncomfortable and stretches me.
“Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
John 11:34-37
Unlike all other religions, our God also has an emotional, compassionate side. How many other religions have a God who cries? That would show their god as weak. Not Jesus. In John’s Gospel, yes, Jesus wept because He loved Lazarus, but there’s more to the story. Jesus was crying for all people. He is a God who understands pain and suffering. He was there in the very beginning, and He knew how perfect and beautiful His creations were. When we disobeyed, everything changed. After that point, every living creature would die. Jesus saw that history in Lazarus’ death.
I left the wet road to turn uphill on a trail circling a local reservoir, and images of my last memories with my parents swept over me. I remember holding my dad’s hands as the whole family stood by his bed, ushering quiet words of love. It was pouring.
I wasn’t praying on this run. It was a stream-of-consciousness talk with God. I listened, and He spoke to me through thoughts, reflections, and imagery. When I remove distractions from my mind and open myself up to God’s calling, many things follow. I heard the distinct sound of a bird I don’t believe I’ve heard since I was a child. It reminded me of a gorgeous spring day while I played in my backyard near the woods as the birds sang the same song. My parents were talking in the background while I was busily playing.
Next, I saw a tiny fawn the size of a labrador retriever walking beside the trail. He noticed me and slowly trotted away. Squirrels were scampering across just feet in front of me. Were these random occurrences or metaphors from God?
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:41-44
Jesus cried out loudly, not because He had to for Lazarus to hear Him. It was a declaration to the bystanders there and to us. Jesus has the power to overcome even death. He is the resurrection.
God told me today that there is hope on the other side of the rain. There is sunshine and glory. Rain is necessary. It makes things grow. We need to let the rain we face drive us to place trust in God as our shelter in the storm and our deliverer. Sunny days remind me of my second chances. What’s on the other side of the rain — God’s glory.
I am Yours regardless ofss
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what’s a little rain
So I pray
Bring the Rain
Mercy Me
Life Applications:
- Trust Jesus. Lazarus died after Jesus told Martha and Mary that his sickness was for God’s glory. This made no sense to Martha and Mary then, but they trusted Jesus anyway. Where do you see God working for your good through your struggles and storms? Be open to His invitation. Pray, watch, and listen.
- We can find hope and comfort in the knowledge that Jesus has the power to overcome death. He has promised to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. Pray about someone you love who has gone to be with the Lord. Thank Jesus for preparing a room for her/him in His kingdom.
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.