Day Four

Scripture: John 11:1-4. J.B. page 1626.

Observation.  Think of some famous people.  What made them famous?  Their name?  Their wealth?  Their skill on the football field?  Their intelligence?

Lazarus is sick.  And Mary and Martha are concerned.  Obviously, it is serious.  They send a message to Jesus.  But Jesus does not rush to the town they are in.  He stays back for a couple of days.  No rush.  No urgency.  It had to be frustrating for Mary and Martha.  Extremely!  They were watching their brother die.

Application.  God’s timing rarely seems to be our timing.  When I have a prayer request, I am ready for God to answer it.  NOW!  When I ask God for something, I want to hear from Him right away.  But I seldom do.  God always seems to take His time even when things seem urgent to me.  I am sure the time seemed urgent to Mary and Martha as well.  But Jesus still waited two days.

Why? So God would be glorified.  What does glorified mean?  Simply, God would receive the fame.  1 Corinthians 10:31 instructs us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  EVERYTHING we do should be to make God famous.  That seems like an impossible task.  EVERYTHING?  Taking out the trash?  Buying a Slurpee at 7Eleven?  Scoring a touchdown?  Eating my Frosted Flakes in the morning?  How?

Some simple ways to do it include: being thankful for what God has given you, recognizing God is the one who has given you your gifts and desires, asking God how you might use what He has given You for His purposes.  Today, ask Jesus to help you be aware of His work and His timing in your life.  Ask Him to use you for His fame.

Prayer.  Father, today, let me use all of me to point others to You.  Use my money, my gifts, my passions, my intelligence, my athletic skill, and everything else to bring You fame.