Topic: More Than A Sliver of Hope (John 11:40) – Discover the Book by Dr John Barnett  6 May  2023

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More Than A Sliver of Hope (John 11:40)
By Rachael Adams

Today’s Bible Verse: Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” – John 11:40 ESV

Though the night was silent, my mind was anything but. Frustrated, I was awake when I should have been asleep, I gazed at the night sky. It was black. There were very few stars and only a sliver of moonlight.

The image before me seemed to accurately depict the past year. The sorrow, fear, and disappointment of the year before felt dark, and I wondered yet again when this difficult season would end.

But I also knew that, though we often don’t understand God’s timing, He always has a plan to work for our good and His glory. Consider the story of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.

We enter their story in John 11 when the sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was ill. Even though Jesus loved the siblings, He didn’t come for two days. Because Jesus didn’t respond immediately, Lazarus died. When Jesus did finally arrive, Mary and Martha were grieving. Their grief deeply moved Jesus and He wept, too.

Approaching the tomb, Jesus commanded the stone to be rolled away. When Martha questioned what He was doing, Jesus responded, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) Then Jesus called for Lazarus to come out, and at His command, Lazarus walked out of the grave.

What a miracle! When all hope seemed lost, Jesus came and resurrected what everyone assumed was dead. And friend, in our hopelessly dark situations we can eagerly expect the same.

From our perspective, we may think Jesus is not answering our prayers or is not answering in the way we want. But as revealed in this story, He will answer according to His perfect schedule and perfect purpose.

This story also shows that, just like Mary and Martha, we should not hesitate to ask God for assistance when we feel hopeless. In the face of trouble and suffering, they reached out to the only One Who could help. God cares for us just as He cared for them, and we can trust He will come at just the right time. His delay had a specific purpose then and it has a specific purpose now.

Have questions and concerns about the future been keeping you awake at night? Do you wonder when your troubles will come to an end?

On that nearly moonless night when I couldn’t sleep, I could see only a sliver of light, but I knew a full moon and all of its brilliance was coming in the future. In the same way, even though we can’t see it yet, we can rest assured that God will be faithful to fulfill His promises and He will provide the relief we long for, all in His perfect time.

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