.....healing

"Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?'" John 11:40

God had prepared a miracle which would cause many others to believe and bring glory and honor to His name: "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me...I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me" John 11:41,42. 

Jesus then proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead! "Lazarus, come out!" John 11:43.

We've all been in bad situations which have caused us to cry out and wonder why God didn't just make things "right." Why didn't He remove the enemy, restore our finances, or take away the hurt? And how many times have we become burdened by the apparent injustice in the world; "I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked...surely in vain have I kept my heart pure" Psalm 73:3,13.

God has the ability to "fix" every situation, but His plan is so much more - though I confess I do not always understand the process. His plan is for us to know Him and His glory; to trust Him and grow while being strengthened through every trial; to continue to be "conformed to the likeness of His Son" Romans 8:29. His plan is to prepare us for an eternity in His presence.

We must trust God to refine and strengthen our faith, even if by fires which He did not cause! No matter what trials we face, we must trust that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" Romans 8:28.

- steve troxel