After The Point of No Return

Tonight I was at a prayer meeting at my church. There are many people in my church who need physical healing and we were lifting up those needs in prayer. I received prayer for healing of my cerebral palsy. I felt prompted to share a word of encouragement with everyone there. I had already been given this word earlier today by the Holy Spirit. He wanted me to share it with a family in the church dealing with a cancer diagnosis. I intended to send it to them in a message. Then I saw them at the church and thought I would share it quietly  after the meeting. Both of those plans were ignored by the Lord and the next thing I knew I had the microphone! I feel like God has asked me to share the same word here, both as a way to keep a record of it and so that He can use it to encourage more people.

The Scripture passage I read from is John 11. It's the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. I began reading in verse 1.

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

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, 

This is an amazing answer! Lazarus is dying and Jesus states in defiance to death that the battle is not over. Jesus knew that He would have victory over death, not only for Lazarus but for all of us who call him Savior and Lord!

The people closest to Lazarus couldn't see this however. That is why four days after Lazarus dies and Jesus finally shows up they have given up all hope. This is often when God's power is most evident and beautiful. Man gives up and God takes over and accomplishes His miraculous plan. For Lazarus the miracle happened this way:

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 

 Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this,that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Jesus is able to go beyond what we think is possible! Death does not have the final word. Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb. We need to declare the Word of God into hopeless situations. Jesus wants to intervene on our behalf. We need to let Him be glorified!