Devotions this week are based on Week 5 Temptation to Triumph: Tears: Hope for the Hurting (WATCH HERE)
John 11:17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
As the story of Lazarus unfolds, the confusion deepens into grief. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Whatever hope Mary and Martha held for healing has passed. What remains is loss.
Jesus had already said that this situation was for God’s glory, but no one else could see that yet. From their perspective, it simply looked like tragedy. This is often where we live. We hear truths about God’s goodness, but our circumstances seem to tell a different story.
Isaiah 55 reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
This does not mean they are distant, but that they are greater. God sees what we cannot. He is working in ways that are often hidden in the moment but revealed over time.
Martha’s words to Jesus reveal both faith and struggle. She believes Jesus could have done something, yet she cannot see what He is doing now. This tension is familiar. We believe God is able, but we struggle to see His purpose when things do not unfold as we expected.
Romans 8:28 assures us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. This does not mean all things are good, but that God is able to bring good through them. Even in grief, God is at work shaping something eternal.
Jesus today invites us to trust God’s purpose even when it is hidden. This does not remove the pain, but it reframes it. Instead of asking only why this is happening, we begin to ask how God might be working through it. We look for glimpses of His faithfulness and hold onto His promises.
Martha held on to the promise that her brother would rise on the last day. She trusted Jesus would do what was best. She, in that moment, didn’t know how Jesus would, but leaned into the truth that even in the death of her brother, she was truly loved. The same is true for your today.
Reflect: Where do you feel like God’s purpose is hidden in your current situation? What promises of God can you hold onto when you cannot see what He is doing?
Prayer: Father, I struggle when I cannot see Your purpose. Help me to trust that You are working even when it feels hidden. Give me faith to believe that You are good and that You are shaping something beyond what I can see. Help me to rest in Your greater plan. Amen.