This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.” Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
Read John 11:1-16
John 11 opens by announcing that a man named Lazarus is sick. This man was from Bethany. He was the brother of Mary and Martha—the same Mary who poured perfume on Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. Jesus had a close relationship with this family. He stayed at their home whenever He visited Jerusalem. He ate their food, slept on their beds, and built a bond with them over time.
Their relationship with Jesus afforded them a luxury very few enjoyed. They could send a personal message to Jesus if they ever needed something. In this case, the message was, “Lord, the one whom you love is sick.” Most of us would assume that Jesus had a close relationship with Mary because of her act of worship and sacrifice, but this statement lets us know that Jesus was also very close to Lazarus, her brother.
As close as Mary and Martha may have been to Jesus, the sisters called Lazarus the “one” Jesus loved. When Jesus received the message, He immediately perceived what the outcome would be. He saw, in the spirit, the end from the beginning, and He spoke what He saw. Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, this sickness is for the glory of God. This has happened to bring glory to the Son of God.”
I will stop here in the story for today.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Cherish Your Divine Connection: Embracing Your Personal Relationship with God.
When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent a direct message to Jesus because they had a personal relationship with Him. This shows that when you have a personal, intimate, and direct relationship with God, you can approach Him with confidence.
— Approaching God with freedom and confidence means approaching God without fear or doubt.
— It means coming before God with an attitude of trust and humility, believing that through Him, all things are possible and that He will be faithful to fulfill His promises.
— Confidence comes from the root word: confide. Mary and Martha sent the message to Jesus, and when they did, they were confiding in Him and trusting that He would do something about it! They had this type of confidence because they had a relationship with Him.
— Your personal relationship with Father, through Christ Jesus, His Son, affords you a luxury unbelievers do not have. Mary and Martha were able to send a direct message to Jesus because they had a relationship with Him. Others, who did not know Him, could not do so. Guess what? The same rings true today. If you are Born-Again, you can reach the Father every second of every day. You call out to Him, in the name of His son, your savior, Jesus the Christ, and He hears you when you call! Your God is never more than a call away!
— Whenever situations arise that exceed your power, ability, and strength, take advantage of your relationship with the Father and invoke His involvement through prayer.
— God is intimately acquainted with you. He knows everything about you. As you develop your relationship with Him, the better you get to know Him, the more comfortable you will be getting Him involved in every area/aspect of your life. Mary and Martha were comfortable reaching out to Jesus. You have to get comfortable reaching out to God for anything and everything!
2. Cultivating Confidence: The Power of a Strong Connection with God in Your Life.
Mary and Martha were able to send word to Jesus directly because they had a personal relationship with Him. When you know God, and you know He knows you, you can:
— Have Boldness in Prayer: A personal relationship with God allows you to approach Him with boldness (confidence), knowing that He hears and cares about your concerns and needs, just as Jesus did for Mary and Martha.
— Trust in God’s Love: Understanding the depth of God’s love for you empowers you to approach Him confidently, knowing that He is compassionate and willing to listen to your prayers. This is why Mary and Martha included the following in their message to Jesus: “Lord, the one whom you love is sick.” When you know you are the ONE GOD LOVES, it does amazing things for your confidence in Him.
— Overcome Fear and Doubt: The sickness that struck Lazarus’ body was severe. It was so severe that we know he later died. But the point that I am making here is that when Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, and while they were waiting for Jesus to show up and do something about it, their confidence in Jesus’ love for them helped them to overcome fear and doubt. Your confidence in God will do the same for you. Say this: “I know God loves me. Therefore, I am confident He will help me in my time of trouble!“
— Have Divine Hope: What you never want to do, as a child of God, is lose hope. While Mary and Martha were waiting for Jesus to do something about their brother’s situation, they had hope! In the world, people say, “Don’t get your hopes up, so you won’t be disappointed.” But in the Kingdom, God wants you to get your hopes up. The Holy Spirit gives us hope that does not disappoint. Romans 5:5 says, “And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” (Romans 5:5 TPT).
Say this: “I have a hope that does not disappoint!“
3. Embracing Serenity: Trusting God’s Omniscience from Start to Finish.
Trusting in God’s infinite wisdom can bring a sense of serenity and unshakable peace.
— You can find comfort in God’s infinite knowledge. When we trust in God’s omniscience, we remind ourselves that God is aware of every aspect of our lives—past, present, and future.
— When you pray, remember that you are not sending breaking news to God. He already knows.
— The prophet Isaiah told us that God knows the end from the beginning (Is 46:10). This means He already knows what happened AND what the outcome will be.
— God knows everything. He knows all you have done and will do. He knows all that has happened in your life and all that will happen. So when you are approaching Him in prayer, you don’t have to waste time telling Him what happened. Focus your time in prayer on the outcome, not the situation.
— What happened may have been a surprise to you, but you can rest in the fact that it was NOT a surprise to God. He already knew; He was not surprised and had already prepared you for it!
— I know mental health is a major challenge for many today. When you rest in the fact that God knows all things (past, present, and future) and in the fact that He made plans for you before the world began, you can overcome anxiety by faith. When you are in faith, you let go of anxiety and worry, knowing that God has a perfect plan for your life and that it will unfold in His timing.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
I find peace in knowing that You know all things. You know the end from the beginning. You sit on the circle of the earth, and You have all power.
You know my thoughts before I think them, my cares before I feel them, my concerns before I share them, and my actions before I take them. You know everything. When I know that You know and that You knew from the foundations of the world, it gives me peace!
If something is ever a surprise to me, I rest in the fact that it was NOT a surprise to You! You already knew it would happen, and You have already prepared me for such a time as this!
I rest in Your sovereignty, and I boldly declare: GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
