by Andrew Sbarra
One thing quarantine has shown me is that my kids can be very impatient. They want help or something to eat, an episode or a snack, and they want it immediately. Truth is, adults can be the same and it can be difficult to wait. I believe we can all agree that it has been trying to sit inside and wait for life to go back to normal. Beyond that though, maybe we are struggling to wait for a spouse, or a job, a change in finances, you can fill in the blank. In a period of waiting we have to remember that God’s timing is perfect.
In the gospel of John, chapter 11 it says, “Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
One of the most interesting things I always find about the beginning of this account is when it says that Jesus “stayed where he was for the next 2 days.” I am sure Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from death if he had not waited those two days. I am sure for Mary and Martha, and possibly Lazarus, those two days felt like an eternity. Have you ever found yourself feeling like that in the waiting? How amazing it is though that in the waiting and the pain and sorrow, Christ was about to reveal himself in a way that would not keep them in a place of waiting and sorrow but prepare them for a life abundantly for eternity through His glory.
If you find yourself in a place of worry or impatience, remember to focus your prayers and requests on things that will ultimately bring glory to God as Elijah did when he prayed for fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-39). If the Lord still doesn’t respond, keep hope and faith knowing that He is for you and is working all things for good. “I am confident I will see the Lord ’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord . Be brave and courageous.” (Psalms 27:13-14 NLT)
