Scripture: John 11.  

OBSERVATION
(Key verses)

John 11:3-4 (NLT)

3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

4 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.”
John 11:14-15 (NLT)

14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

45
Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

As humans we tend to beat up on ourselves pretty bad when awful things happen to us or those very close to us, for we look inward to find what we must have done to cause such a thing to happen. Alternatively, we tend to take God’s place, and look at the person’s life and look at all the bad things they may have done, until we could finally pinpoint the reason why the demons must have come upon him/her and caused such grief. I wonder how many of us will take note of the scripture shown above and follow the example given by Jesus? I have bolded portions of the verses that stood out to me, and encouraged me to always take another view at bad things that happen to us. Nothing in the verses indicate any advantage to us personally. Rather, glory came to the Father because of the stronger belief by the disciples. Secondly, even the visitors who came to encourage Mary and Martha surrendered their lives to the Lord, for verse 45 says that they believed in Jesus. Will we always be comforted by the good things that came out of loss, our sickness or our disaster? Not always, because when folk come to know the Lord, this brings glory to the Father. If we happen to hear about it, then praise the Lord and rejoice over the new found salvation. More than this friend, we just have to trust God that His perfect will might be accomplished through all aspects of our life, good and bad.

PRAYER
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, You designed and made us, so You are more than aware of our intricate minds and emotions. Please make us more like You each and every day, so that we may become more than conquerors, even in the tough times of our lives. For often it is then that others look at how we handle those times and recognize who is at the wheel, and who motivates and drives us. Oh that the people may see Jesus in every fiber of our lives, not just at church or Christian gatherings, but even in the most challenging times of our lives. May we fill our selves so much with Jesus and Your love, that even in the bad times, Your words, and Your actions might come out of us. Thank You for Your Word and Your power in my life. I have not attained perfection, so please continue to work in and through me. Also, please help my friends that may read this devotional today to be inspired by Your Word and live their lives in concert with all that is taught to us in Your Word. All this for Your total glory oh Lord, amen!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
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