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
Let’s continue with the story of Lazarus.
When the sisters received word that Jesus was coming, they went out to meet him. Mary and Martha met Jesus at different times. Over the next few days, we will examine how each one responded to and interacted with Jesus. Although what they said to Jesus was identical, how they said it was very different, and because the “how” was different, the results were different.
Martha left behind a house full of mourning people. I am sure many were still in tears. She came out to meet Jesus with her heart hurting and her feelings on her sleeve. As soon as she saw Jesus, she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha was open and honest about her feelings. She expressed her disappointment. She was expressing her feelings and emotions, but Jesus was looking for faith. Jesus was ready to raise Lazarus from the dead.
The fact that Jesus was looking for faith is always the case with us, by the way. It is impossible to please God without faith, so when He approaches us, He is looking for faith from us. If we respond with a bunch of faithless emotions, we won’t get anywhere with God.
Martha had sent word for Jesus while Lazarus was still alive, but for reasons unbeknownst to her, Jesus decided to show up after Lazarus had been dead for four days. Her pain and frustration were understandable. Death is never easy to deal with, especially when you believe it was avoidable or when you believe the person’s life was cut short. Martha’s pain flowed from the entirety of her person (spirit, soul, and body). I can imagine her telling Lazarus while he was on his sick bed, “Don’t worry. We have sent word to Jesus. Jesus is on the way. Jesus will fix it. You will get better. Just hold on.” But then, He didn’t come. Lazarus had not gotten better. As a matter of fact, he had gotten worse. Lazarus died, and her hope died with him.
I believe we can all identify with her pain when she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” But she also said, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Wait a minute. That sounds like faith. That sounds like hope. That sounds like belief. That sounds like Martha was ready for Jesus to do something about her brother’s situation. Even though he had been dead for four days, it sounded like she still believed Jesus could raise him up. But did she really? Was she really ready, or was she just speaking religious jargon? Was she just saying what sounded good? (Like many religious people do.)
Jesus was ready, even if Martha was not. Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again!” He was bringing hope into a seemingly dead situation. After four days of pain and sorrow, the God of Hope was on the scene! Beyond the hurt, beyond the pain, beyond the past, HOPE was standing right in front of her, and hope-Himself had just said that her brother would rise again! If she were actually in-faith, she would have started praising God right then and there. She would have told everyone to get ready for a resurrection if she truly believed. But she was not ready. She was not hopeful. We will stop here for today, but as we continue, we will see that she was not ready and she was no longer in a position to believe. While she was saying the right things, like, “even now God will give you whatever you ask,” she was just being religious. She did not believe it. Religious people know how to say the right things, but they don’t believe what they are saying. This is one of the reasons I am convinced God hates religion.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. God does all He does by grace, and when He comes to us, He is looking for faith.
— God, in His infinite wisdom and love, operates by His unearned grace. This is the unmerited and undeserved favor that He freely bestows upon us. This grace is a reflection of His divine character and a testament to His unwavering love for us. Grace is an undeserved gift we could never earn or merit through our efforts or righteousness.
— When God comes to us, He is not seeking to measure our achievements, abilities, or worthiness. What God is looking for from us is faith. He wants us, as His children, to have a firm and deep-seated trust and belief in His promises, His love, His power, and His commitment to us. He desires for us to put our faith in Him, acknowledging our complete reliance on Him and His grace.
— Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. It is by faith that we access the abundant blessings and supernatural favor that flow from God’s throne. When we exercise our faith, we are not only expressing our confidence in God, but also demonstrating our humility and dependence on His grace.
— Our faith is a response to God’s grace, and it is this faith that pleases Him. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” It is through our faith that we can boldly approach the throne of grace, knowing that our God will meet us where we are and provide for our every need.
— The beauty of God’s grace is that it is available to everyone, regardless of our past or present circumstances. We are all invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, to receive the life-transforming love of God that has the power to save, heal, refresh, and restore.
— God’s work in our lives is driven by His boundless grace, and He desires for us to respond with unwavering faith.
— God’s grace is more than sufficient to meet our every need, but if we don’t exercise faith, we won’t tap into God’s grace.
— When Jesus arrived on the scene with Martha, He was ready to raise her brother from the dead. He knew God’s grace was present to perform the supernatural. It did not matter that Lazarus had been dead for four days. It did not matter that his body was already stinking. All that mattered was the fact that Jesus was there and God’s grace was present. But, once again, what Jesus was looking for was faith. When He spoke to Martha, He was looking for her to believe. But sadly, instead of believing, all she provided Him was emotion, frustration, and religious words that sounded good. When she said, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask,” it sounded like she was in faith. But as Jesus further investigated it, He found out that she was just speaking empty religious words.
— God is never upset when we express our true feelings to Him. But after we get our feelings out, He is looking for faith. If you don’t provide faith, you may miss out on God’s grace.
2. Don’t allow your feelings to ruin your faith.
— While I believe God is okay with us getting our ‘feelings’ out, if we ‘feel’ like we need to, when the venting is over, He is still looking for faith. Jesus wanted faith from Martha, and all she was providing was feelings. Feelings will get you nowhere with God. We are called to live by faith and not by feelings.
— It is crucial for us to recognize the impact our feelings can have on our faith. Emotions are a natural part of our human experience, but we must be mindful not to let them take control over our faith journey. Our feelings can sometimes cloud our judgment or cause us to waver in our trust in God. It is essential that we remain anchored in the truth of His Word and not let our emotions dictate our faith.
— Feelings are fleeting and can be influenced by various factors such as our circumstances, experiences, and even the opinions of others. When we allow our feelings to dictate our faith, we risk being tossed to-and-fro by the ever-changing tides of our emotions. This instability can hinder our growth in Christ and create unnecessary barriers in our relationship with God.
— Faith is rooted in the unchanging truth of God’s Word and His promises; there is no instability in that. When we choose to trust God despite our feelings, we demonstrate our commitment to placing our faith in Him above all else. This unwavering faith pleases God and enables us to experience His best in every situation.
— Jesus was looking for faith in Martha. He did not find it. Will He find it when He comes to you?
3. Religious and empty words are unproductive and will not move God.
When Martha said to Jesus, “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask,” it sounded like she was in faith. But sadly, she was not.
— Martha said the right thing, but she only said it because she thought it was the right thing to say. She did not believe what she said. Saying the right thing out of protocol or routine means nothing if you don’t believe what you are saying.
— Words matter, and they carry immense power in the Kingdom of God. Our words can either build up or tear down; they can bring life or death, healing or destruction. As believers, we need to recognize the significance of the words we speak, for God is looking for us to speak faith-filled words from a believing heart!
— Throughout the Bible, we see countless examples of the power of words. From the very beginning, when God spoke the world into existence, to Jesus calming the storm with just a few words, the power of the spoken word is evident. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Good or bad, you will have what you say.
— When we align our words with the truth found in God’s Word, we create an atmosphere conducive to the manifestation of His power and presence in our lives. Speaking words of faith is an act of obedience that pleases God and demonstrates our trust in His ability to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think.
— On the other hand, empty words—words devoid of faith—can be unproductive and even damaging. Speaking words of doubt, fear, or negativity can create a barrier that prevents us from fully experiencing God’s power and blessings in our lives. These faithless words not only hinder our spiritual growth but can also discourage others in their walk with the Lord.
4. We must be OPEN to the supernatural.
— This is the point of this series. God wants your heart open to His power, no matter how bad a situation may seem.
— We serve a God that can do exceedingly and abundantly above anything we can ask, think or imagine (Eph 3:20).
— When Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise again, she was not ready for it. Are you? Can you stand for God to do MORE than you were expecting?
— Are you ready for God to move in your life in ways that exceed human power, ability, and strength? Are you truly ready for the supernatural?
— As we walk with God, it is essential that we remain open to the supernatural and not become trapped in religious rituals and traditions. Our relationship with the Lord is not about following a set of rules or adhering to man-made customs; it is about experiencing the living, powerful, and transformative presence of God in our lives.
To avoid falling into the trap of religious thinking and to remain open to the supernatural, we can practice the following principles:
— Cultivate a personal relationship with God.
— Attempt to be led by the Holy Spirit every moment of every day.
— Be willing to step out in faith, even at the risk of looking foolish.
— Reject religious legalism.
— Surround yourself with people of like-previous-faith.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
In this season, I declare that I will experience You in ways I never have.
You have called me to walk by faith and not by feelings. So after I get my feelings out, my heart is always ready to operate in faith.
I am always ready for the supernatural. I don’t speak empty words out of tradition. I speak faith-filled words from a believing heart.
When You are ready to exceed my expectations, my heart is ready to believe and receive! I will not limit You, in any way, with fear, doubt, unbelief, or religious practices.
I welcome Your supernatural power, and I am OPEN to whatever You want to do; however, You wish to do it!
I am ready for Your power to be manifested in my life this year like never before! GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
