I remember an inspirational story my baseball coach gave the team before a game. It was about a person who was sick and had to lay in bed for weeks. During that time, he played rounds of golf in his mind hitting the perfect shot. When he got better from his illness, one of the first things he did was to go out and play an actual round of golf and shot his best round ever.

As we read today in John 11:17-44, be thinking of seeing God at work in your life. Take note of what Jesus tells Martha about believing and seeing the glory of God. Life is hard and sometimes we hit a wall but that’s when the impossible can become possible because during our weakness, Jesus steps in to help us do the amazing. We may be given ideas from Holy Spirit to help climb over the wall, work around it, or go right through the wall.

Reading today’s passage, remember that the woman that poured perfume on Jesus and wiped his feet named Mary and her sister Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother named Lazarus was sick. They told Jesus in the message that the one you love is sick.

We know from our previous study of this chapter that Jesus said that the reason for the illness of Lazurus was that another miracle could occur so that God’s Son would be glorified through it (v. 4). So Jesus had stayed where He was for two more days before He told His disciples that it was time to go back to Judea.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany which is about two miles from Jerusalem, Lazarus had been dead four days but the timing was right because more of an impact would be made to those who did not yet believe.

Jesus met Martha first for she was more task-oriented so she had made the effort to meet Jesus as he arrived. Mary was more people oriented and was with everyone who had come over to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

Jesus was deeply moved when He saw Mary weeping and the others who had come with her who were weeping. In verse 35, we note that Jesus wept showing us that Jesus felt the same emotions as we do in life. Jesus was fully human but also fully divine. When the people saw that Jesus wept, they understood how much Jesus loved Lazurus (v. 36). 

Then Jesus came to the tomb where Lazurus was and told them to take away the stone from the entrance to the tomb. Martha points out to Jesus that there would be a bad odor because Lazurus had been there four days (v. 39). Then Jesus said the following in verse 40:

Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?

Jesus then prays a thankful prayer to His Father for hearing and explains that His thankful prayer is for the benefit of those witnessing this experience so that more may now believe because of the supernatural event of raising Lazarus from the dead.

This day with God, commune with Him through His Word and in prayer. During your prayer time, reflect on a time you have seen the glory of God. Aspire to believe and have confidence that you will see the glory of God again in the future.

This day, the impossible can become possible and like Jesus tells Martha, believe and you will see the glory of God. Today, we pray for big things like peace, hope, for healing, for revival, salvation, and victory because we have confidence that God will provide. We will work together with Jesus who connects us to our awesome God who is unstoppable. Today, we read about the extraordinary miracle of raising Lazurus from the dead and we are now prepared for an amazing day because we serve an extraordinary God, and we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.