Micca Monda Campbell
"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40 (NIV)
Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus were in Jesus' inner circle of friends. As part of the "in" crowd, Mary and Martha felt certain Jesus would come to them when Lazarus got ill. They had seen Jesus heal and minister to complete strangers. Surely, He'd come to those whom He loved. However, we see in John 11:4-6 that was not the case.
Jesus indeed loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Yet, when He heard that Lazarus was sick He stayed where He was two more days.
Let's pause here for a moment. I find it very confusing that while Jesus loved His friends, He waited two days before He went to their side. These verses appear to validate our fear of rejection. We think, "If Jesus ignored His friend Lazarus, then He can ignore me too."
After my husband died, I felt unloved and forgotten by God. I had trusted Him and believed as His child nothing bad would happen to me. When something bad did happen, I bought Satan's lie. "I knew it, God. I knew You really didn't love me!" I believed Satan's propaganda which caused me to doubt God. He had promised never to leave or desert me, but there I was, alone. How could God betray me? I wondered.
Do you know that hollow, helpless feeling that accompanies the pain of rejection, loss, and loneliness? It may be the loss of your home, the loss of a pregnancy, or perhaps a loved one rejected you in some way. The pain of that rejection warns that trusting again is too risky.
The truth is, when you and I experience either emotional or physical trauma, and God doesn't respond like we think He should, we will do one of two things. Either we turn to God, trusting Him with the result; or we run from God and feed on bitterness. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can learn to trust again.
Perspective is often limited by circumstances. God knows exactly what He's doing in your life and it's always based on love. When I'm overcome with fear I'm not really looking for answers. I'm looking for the assurance that God is near, that He's in control, and He cares about me and my circumstances.
While others may reject us, you and I need not fear rejection from God. As I began to understand that God had not left me, but was in the pit with me, I started to see a deeper truth. Bad things are going to happen to me while on earth. Usually they are the result of living in this fallen world.
Sickness, abuse and death are part of life in a fallen world that God will someday restore. Until then, God may allow me to go through these things. It's not to cause me any undue pain, but rather He allow them and then use them to accomplish spiritual growth. Charles Stanley explains, "Some things are so important to God that they are worth interrupting the happiness and health of His children in order to accomplish them."
This was true with Mary and Martha. Jesus told Martha that she would see the glory of God if she believed. Did you catch that? Believing is seeing. If you and I choose faith over fear, we will see the glory of God turn our pain into life and blessings.
As Mary and Martha believed, they witnessed the glory of God when He raised their brother from the dead. Their fears vanished and their faith was restored. If you and I want to exchange our fear for faith, we must believe that what Christ has in store for us is worth our present pain.
Dear Lord, even when I don't understand Your actions, help me trust that You have my best at heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
________________________________________
When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you support the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!
________________________________________
Reflections:
Can looking at my circumstances from God's perspective lessen my anxieties?
Will I chose to trust God (again) today? Why or why not?
Power Verses:
Isaiah 54:10, "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed;" says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (NIV)
© 2010 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.
"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40 (NIV)
Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus were in Jesus' inner circle of friends. As part of the "in" crowd, Mary and Martha felt certain Jesus would come to them when Lazarus got ill. They had seen Jesus heal and minister to complete strangers. Surely, He'd come to those whom He loved. However, we see in John 11:4-6 that was not the case.
Jesus indeed loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Yet, when He heard that Lazarus was sick He stayed where He was two more days.
Let's pause here for a moment. I find it very confusing that while Jesus loved His friends, He waited two days before He went to their side. These verses appear to validate our fear of rejection. We think, "If Jesus ignored His friend Lazarus, then He can ignore me too."
After my husband died, I felt unloved and forgotten by God. I had trusted Him and believed as His child nothing bad would happen to me. When something bad did happen, I bought Satan's lie. "I knew it, God. I knew You really didn't love me!" I believed Satan's propaganda which caused me to doubt God. He had promised never to leave or desert me, but there I was, alone. How could God betray me? I wondered.
Do you know that hollow, helpless feeling that accompanies the pain of rejection, loss, and loneliness? It may be the loss of your home, the loss of a pregnancy, or perhaps a loved one rejected you in some way. The pain of that rejection warns that trusting again is too risky.
The truth is, when you and I experience either emotional or physical trauma, and God doesn't respond like we think He should, we will do one of two things. Either we turn to God, trusting Him with the result; or we run from God and feed on bitterness. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can learn to trust again.
Perspective is often limited by circumstances. God knows exactly what He's doing in your life and it's always based on love. When I'm overcome with fear I'm not really looking for answers. I'm looking for the assurance that God is near, that He's in control, and He cares about me and my circumstances.
While others may reject us, you and I need not fear rejection from God. As I began to understand that God had not left me, but was in the pit with me, I started to see a deeper truth. Bad things are going to happen to me while on earth. Usually they are the result of living in this fallen world.
Sickness, abuse and death are part of life in a fallen world that God will someday restore. Until then, God may allow me to go through these things. It's not to cause me any undue pain, but rather He allow them and then use them to accomplish spiritual growth. Charles Stanley explains, "Some things are so important to God that they are worth interrupting the happiness and health of His children in order to accomplish them."
This was true with Mary and Martha. Jesus told Martha that she would see the glory of God if she believed. Did you catch that? Believing is seeing. If you and I choose faith over fear, we will see the glory of God turn our pain into life and blessings.
As Mary and Martha believed, they witnessed the glory of God when He raised their brother from the dead. Their fears vanished and their faith was restored. If you and I want to exchange our fear for faith, we must believe that what Christ has in store for us is worth our present pain.
Dear Lord, even when I don't understand Your actions, help me trust that You have my best at heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
An Untroubled Heart: Finding Faith that is Stronger than My Fears by Micca Campbell
Visit Micca’s blog
Additional Resources by Micca Campbell
Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner by Wendy Blight
An Untroubled Heart: Finding Faith that is Stronger than My Fears by Micca Campbell
Visit Micca’s blog
Additional Resources by Micca Campbell
Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner by Wendy Blight
________________________________________
When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you support the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!
________________________________________
Application Steps:
Jesus told them to remove the stone covering Lazarus' grave. The stone can represent our hurt, anger or pride. In order to see your miracle, you may need to remove the stone that has hardened your heart against trusting Christ.Reflections:
Can looking at my circumstances from God's perspective lessen my anxieties?
Will I chose to trust God (again) today? Why or why not?
Power Verses:
Isaiah 54:10, "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed;" says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (NIV)
© 2010 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.
10 Comments:
I can so relate to this devotional; I've experienced the same emotions. It's been moment by moment choices of trusting God and others again. He is ever so patient and faithful... I am beginning to put action to my faith and am seeing doors open that I had never imagined. I can not wait to see what God has in store for my life. I know He will use every painful circumstance to the good when I let Him.
Thank you for the encouragement of this writing; I am pressing in and pressing on.
Love and blessings,
Billie
All I can say is, WOW! What a powerful piece of writing, Micca. Thank you. And you quoted my very favorite pastor, Charles Stanley.
You have used by God to whisper truth to a broken heart. god has been asking me to walk by faith, not by sight and to trust Him, not the world.
Trust again. This weekend at church, our pastor talked about the same thing. It is totally making me seek Him about those areas I don't trust in Him. Some are really painful. But He so does want to come in and heal and help us trust in Him
Thanks
thank you micca for your words of truth this morning.
Thank you for the reminder. Just hoping the message was meant as a general reminder from God and not a specific one as I wait to hear about a job offer. Please pray I hear GOOD NEWS!
sometimes it can just be so hard to trust Him.... thanks for the reminder
Great stuff! I am currently going through a very rough patch with my parents. I am 35 years old & my parents have taken a very passive aggressive position against my family leadership decisions. I have decided to raise our family with strong biblical leadership. Thus they continue to not accept my wife and throw the brunt of my life changes as being my wife's fault. It’s tough when boundaries are set in a family that has never had boundaries or strong biblical principles. Since my wife comes from a strong Christian family it seems to threaten them. On top of the 5 years of passive aggressive tribulation during our marriage the addition of a baby has added even more drama with them.
The verse about Jesus taking 2 days to return to Lazarus is interesting. Wow if my folks don’t get a reply in 2 minutes all heck breaks out!!! Amazing because I know they had faith that Jesus would return. In comparison to my parents the issues lie with them not understanding the word "no". They feel it means that I do not love them. I must remind myself that in most cases Love is unconditional but relationship are conditional. Jesus loved Lazarus along with Mary & Martha so they knew His unconditional love. They also understood that their relationship was conditional with Jesus. If they trusted God and prayed to him for peace, He would not allow the evil one to attack or question His unconditional love thus the relationship would not falter. With the Christmas holidays coming soon I will lean on these verses as I try not to waiver in the midst of the broken conditions within my family relationships.
More helpful verses to aid us during this rough patch with my parents are welcomed.
A touching post. Having difficulty
rolling that stone away, strength is almost all gone. This touched on a lot...thanks or the guidance at the end.
I am so sorry you lost your husband. I have often thought what would happen in my relationship with God if my husband died. I know logically that this life is not about me, it is about him. I also know that if that happened, I would run to him...in pain, anger, grief, sadness, confusion, helplessness...and not away from him. Because, simply put, he would be all I had left! He is everything! I know that even in intense mourning, there is immense peace and joy knowing that he has all things in his hands and control. I think the hardest part would be knowing that my husband was experiencing the greatest joy of heaven, and that I would not be able to share in that joy. It would also be hard to know that he could no longer help me make sense of what God is doing in this world and not being able to minister to each other, in the church, and in the world.
A friend of mine lost her husband after 15 years of marriage a few weeks ago. They have a beautiful adopted daughter and and incredible "epic" ministry. I keep thinking about what she is going through. I know she is turning to Christ daily to comfort her and supply her needs.
Perhaps the most frightening thought in all of this is that I know in my life I have been much closer to God in times of great tragedy than I am in times of prosperity. Though pain and death are the inevitable result of sin in this world, it is paradoxical how God uses them to pull us in closer and speak incredible revelations about who He truly is in those times.
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