“Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.” John 11:5-6
Are deep burdens and discouragements overwhelming you today? Does it seem like nothing is going the way you thought it would? You have prayed and prayed, and there seems to be no answer. Consider Martha’s family. Jesus loved them, but He also allowed this difficulty in their lives.
We can all relate to Martha and hear the hurt in her voice as she says, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died” (John 11:21). When they needed Him most, He chose not to come. Why? We have the answer in verse 4. “When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
What a comfort it is to realize that if the Lord chooses to wait to answer our prayers, it is because He wants to be glorified in the end. Instead of seeing their brother raised from a sick bed, Mary and Martha got to see him raised from death itself. This brought more glory to God. He sometimes allows death so there can be a resurrection. Death comes to our plans, our hopes, our abilities, our wisdom ... so He can live in and be glorified through us.