Have you ever wondered where God was in the midst of difficulty? Have you ever felt like the Lord was nowhere to be found when you needed Him the most?
Martha and Mary would probably have been leaders if they were around today. Mary was a devoted worshipper and Martha loved to serve. They and their brother were close to Jesus so He was the first person the ladies called when Lazarus was sick.
But rather than rushing to their brother’s bedside, Jesus delayed. Not just a couple of hours, but two days. While they waited, Lazarus died. When the Lord eventually reached their home, the women were broken-hearted.
Where Were You?
Not only had they lost Lazarus, but they couldn’t understand why Jesus hadn’t come. The first words that came out of both of their mouths when they first saw Jesus, were: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:21, 32
I don’t think it was a coincidence that they said the exact same thing. I’m sure they agonised as they talked in the hours and days after Lazarus died. “Why didn’t He come when we called?”, “What did we do wrong?” “He is the Healer and yet our brother is dead”.
The Pain of Confusion
They were bewildered. After all, they loved the Lord with all their hearts. They gave their best in worship and service. So why did this horrible thing happen to them?
I don’t know what you have gone through or what has happened in your life. But I do know that “Man is born to trouble” (Job 5:7) so I am sure you have been through some terribly painful periods. You may even be there right now.
One of the things that can make tough times even harder is when we don’t know what went wrong, when we can’t countenance why.
No Answers
In the weeks and months after our two year old daughter died, one of the things that troubled me most was that I just couldn’t understand why our little girl had died. I remember saying that I would be able to start to heal when God revealed why she had gone.
For months, I felt tormented by that question. Just like Martha and Mary, I was stuck. Then God started to show me that “Why?” asked at the wrong time only ever leads to confusion. As long as I was preoccupied with finding an answer, I felt trapped by the torment.
Then I sensed Him asking me a question: “Would there ever be a good enough reason why your little princess died?” I realised that no answer would be enough and in that moment I realised that it was time to let go. As I gave up my right to know, confusion lifted and my healing began.
Hidden Miracles
Jesus had a miracle in store for Martha and Mary that was far greater than healing. When they got past confusion, they saw a resurrection. I got an amazing miracle too: God completely healed my heart. But I had to lay down my questions to find real answers.
His plans for you are to prosper you, to give you a hope and a bright future. If you will lay down any tormenting questions, you will position yourself for a new season of restoration. Tell God in prayer that you trust Him. Lay down any questions causing confusion and ask Him to heal your heart.
If you are in the UK or Florida, please don’t miss our new life changing event, Free To Succeed. We will be dealing with the hidden heart issues that cause us to sabotage our success in life and relationships. It will lead you to freedom and confidence.
Probablemente conozca la historia de Lázaro en Juan 11. No creo que este relato se trate solo de un hombre resucitado de entre los muertos, creo que es una historia sobre las luchas internas de sus hermanas.
Marta y María probablemente habrían sido líderes si estuvieran presentes hoy. María era una adoradora devota y a Marta le encantaba servir. Ellos y su hermano estaban cerca de Jesús, por lo que fue la primera persona a la que llamaron las damas cuando Lázaro estaba enfermo.
Pero en lugar de apresurarse al lado de la cama de su hermano, Jesús se demoró. No solo un par de horas, sino dos días. Mientras esperaban, Lázaro murió. Cuando el Señor finalmente llegó a su casa, las mujeres estaban desconsoladas.
¿Dónde Estabas?
No solo habían perdido a Lázaro, sino que no podían entender por qué Jesús no había venido. Las primeras palabras que salieron de la boca de ambos cuando vieron a Jesús por primera vez fueron: “Señor, si hubieras estado aquí, mi hermano no habría muerto”. Juan 11:21, 32
No creo que haya sido una coincidencia que dijeran exactamente lo mismo. Estoy segura de que agonizaron mientras hablaban en las horas y días posteriores a la muerte de Lázaro. “¿Por qué no vino cuando lo llamamos?”, “¿Qué hicimos mal?” “Él es el Sanador y, sin embargo, nuestro hermano está muerto”.
El Dolor de la Confusión
Estaban desconcertados. Después de todo, amaban al Señor con todo su corazón. Dieron lo mejor de sí mismos en adoración y servicio. Entonces, ¿por qué les sucedió esta cosa horrible?
No sé por lo que has pasado o lo que ha pasado en tu vida. Pero sí sé que “el hombre nace para la angustia” (Job 5:7), así que estoy segura de que has pasado por períodos terriblemente dolorosos. Puede que incluso estés ahí ahora mismo.
Una de las cosas que pueden hacer que los tiempos difíciles sean aún más difíciles es cuando no entendemos por qué algo salió mal, y se siente intolerable.
Sin Respuestas
En las semanas y meses posteriores a la muerte de nuestra hija de dos años, una de las cosas que más me preocupaba era que no podía entender por qué había muerto nuestra pequeña. Recuerdo haber dicho que yo podría comenzar a sanar cuando Dios revelara por qué nuestra hijita se había ido.
Durante muchos meses, me sentí atormentada por esa pregunta. Al igual que Marta y María, estaba atascado. Entonces Dios comenzó a mostrarme que “¿Por qué?” preguntado en el momento equivocado sólo conduce a la confusión. Mientras estuve preocupada por encontrar una respuesta, me sentí atrapada por el tormento.
Entonces sentí que Él me hacía una pregunta: “¿Habría alguna vez una buena razón por la que tu princesita murió?” Me di cuenta de que ninguna respuesta sería suficiente y en ese momento me di cuenta de que era hora de dejarlo ir. Al soltar mi derecho a saber, la confusión se disipó, y mi sanidad comenzó.
Milagros Ocultos
Jesús tenía reservado un milagro para Marta y María que era mucho más grande que la sanidad. Cuando superaron la confusión, vieron una resurrección. Yo también obtuve un milagro increíble: Dios sanó completamente mi corazón. Pero tuve que rendir mis preguntas para encontrar respuestas reales.
Sus planes para usted son para prosperarlo, para darte una esperanza y un futuro brillante. Si usted rinde las preguntas difíciles, se posicionará para una nueva temporada de restauración. Dígale a Dios en oración que confía en Él. Deje cualquier pregunta que cause confusión y pídale que sane su corazón.
Si se encuentra en el Reino Unido o en la Florida, no se pierda nuestro nuevo evento que le cambiará la vida, “Free To Succeed” (“Libre Para Ser Exitoso”). Estaremos lidiando con los problemas ocultos del corazón que nos hacen sabotear nuestro éxito en la vida y las relaciones. Lo conducirá a la libertad y la confianza. (Este evento será traducido al Español, par los que lo necesiten.)
Thanks, Jo.
I have just completed my sermon for tomorrow on the Lord’s question to Adam, “Where are you?
On that basis, the question I am asking my hearers is, “”Where are you in your relationship with Christ?”
Could we be hiding a dark patch in our lives? We may have been Christian for two, three, four or five decades.
Where do we stand in our walk with Christ today?
Is there a dark patch that we wish to get rid of this Lenten period?
The Lord is ever ready to assist.
Yes, I know of people who are bitter at the Lord because of a loss or some other unfortunate incident in their lives. Yes, if we approach the Lord with open mind, His Spirit will help us heal.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Ebo
Hi Pastor Jo
This is Pastor Yvonne Sklar. This popped up as soon as I opened my phone this morning. I needed to read this. Yesterday, Mark, the one year anniversary that I delayed my husband wreck to rest with our community and his celebration of life. I cried nonstop for 24 hours. Rick died of Covid, but had his friend injury for over five years. Although I know he graduated to glory. He suffered so greatly for five days and I was with him during the entire time, I was fortunate enough that God prepared his departure with trust me. I am now left with no one, my entire family is in heaven. I have been stuck with this question for a year. Why did god take Rick with Kofed of all things, after all the prevention measures that I took. I just can’t wrap my head around it. I am stuck , and to make matters worse, his entire pension went to an ex-wife that he was married to only briefly for a few years right out of high school. She got $350,000 after we were married for 30. I was like penniless and broke. I would love to come to Florida to your refreshing revival, but I have no money. Honestly, I have about $300 to my name. When I started on Ricks care program seven years ago I had 500,000 in the bank, but it took every penny for his care. How does this happen after a lifetime of service and devotion to the Lord? I am going to a job experience, do you have any answers for me? Sincerely, best regards Pastor Yvonne Sklar .
Oh my, I hear your pain and the awful sense of confusion over all this. It’s not really a quick answer as you can imagine. I would like to send you a copy of one of my books Let’s Talk About Trauma that I think would help. I cover some of these painful questions. Can you email admin@jonaughton.com with your address? Sending you much love