Lord, if only you had been here

<p id="viewer-foo"><strong>“Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21,32)</strong></p>

<p id="viewer-4p74h">That statement is loaded with pain, dejection, finality and hopelessness. Isn’t that the sense we feel when we lose someone? Or we are faced with a situation where it appears there is no way out?</p>

<p id="viewer-ac2vu"><strong>“Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” </strong>Same statement - said by two sisters at two different instances to the One who loves them. </p>

<p id="viewer-37ko2">Imagine how Mary and Martha must have felt as they watched how the condition of Lazarus deteriorated quickly within 2 days while they were still waiting for Jesus. </p>

<p id="viewer-187aa">Imagine the atmosphere in the room where Lazarus was laid as he gasps for breath — Mary and Martha taking turns in prayers and anxiously looking through the windows to see if Jesus would show up at that instance. </p>

<p id="viewer-41p9b">Imagine the sense of resignation on their faces when it became obvious that Jesus won’t be there as Lazarus inevitably sighed his last breath and died.</p>

<p id="viewer-7gk29">Imagine the sorrow in their hearts as Lazarus was being prepared for the morgue and they kept pondering these words in their minds <strong>“but we know Jesus loved Lazarus, so why didn’t He show up?”</strong></p>

<p id="viewer-cvhnn">Imagine their need for consolation as Lazarus was wrapped up and placed in the tomb - how crushed they may have felt to know that their beloved brother would no longer be interacted with again until the resurrection of the saints.</p>

<p id="viewer-7f2e6">Imagine waking up the next morning and realising this was not a bad dream after all even as the sounds of the wailers permeate the atmosphere. </p>

<p id="viewer-27lbu">But something happened... Jesus showed up... but is it not too late already? Is God not too late? Can anything good come out of this situation now? Can there be hope at all when all hopes have been shattered?</p>

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<p id="viewer-9ho1c">Jesus showed up but the body of Lazarus is still bound up. Jesus showed up 4 days after Lazarus was buried and by this time, rigor mortis already set in. Medically the body is already stiff. Can there be hopes at all when it looked so hopeless? </p>

<p id="viewer-dkq15">Martha sighed. Mary worshipped....but the words of resignation and pain were still the same - <strong>“Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”</strong></p>

<p id="viewer-go28">It is a statement that says “God, why did you not show up when I expected you to?” Or “God, but I prayed and still I did not get the answer I wanted when I wanted it” or “God, I know you love me but I don’t get this. It makes no sense at all” Or “Father, why the delay? What have I missed? Can I still trust you?”.... on and on...</p>

<p id="viewer-bo3mg">Have you ever felt like that before? When at times, it seems your prayers are not being answered? Or you felt stuck in a place? Or you were faced with a terrible loss of someone so close to you that the pain you felt was numbing? Or perhaps “you have toiled all night like Peter and caught nothing?”.... </p>

<p id="viewer-9ac67">Whatever situation you may have found yourself in, remember that God never abandons His children (Heb 13:5). Are you able to see with the eyes of faith, things you could be grateful for- even in that situation? </p>

<p id="viewer-r929">No matter what you are faced with right now, I am confident that God will never abandon you and that He will bring you out of it...</p>

<p id="viewer-feuls"><strong>Why am I certain God will bring you out?</strong> Because Jesus wept (John 11:35). He wept because He loves us. He wept because He feels our pains and despondency. He wept because whatever touches the apple of His eyes touches Him. He wept because He cares for you.</p>

<p id="viewer-9j25u"><strong>Why am I certain God will bring you out?</strong> Because Jesus already determined that the case is not hopeless (John 11:4,11,23). Lazarus is going to come back alive. Your story will change. There is hope for you. You will live again. Breathe again. Thrive again... </p>

<p id="viewer-dqtb9"><strong>Why am I certain God will bring you out?</strong> Because Lazarus was raised from the dead. The story did not end at “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21,32) but God turned it around. </p>

<p id="viewer-1f0p1">Death turned to life. Mourning turned to dancing. Sorrow turned to joy. Every loss, recovered. </p>

<p id="viewer-9apml">I prophecy over your life. Everything that is delayed is fast-tracked. Everything that is decaying receives life. Everything lost is recovered. </p>

<p id="viewer-bs0ir">Lazarus, come forth!!</p>