It wasn’t long ago that I found myself on the brink of a miracle - a miracle I had been praying for and pleading with God to do for the last year and a half.
And then the miracle didn’t happen.
The moment came and went. God had seemingly missed His opportunity.
Even so, I’m here to tell you that God is not a God of missed opportunities.
Trust me, I understand. It so often appears that God has passed on a perfect moment to display His power and might - to make known His glory and goodness. Whether that be in shattered relationships, dreams that seemingly never come to fruition or simply the disappointments we experience day-to-day, each of us are well acquainted with the pain and frustration of questioning God's provision. It’s not just you and me either. Martha thought a similar thing when she and her sister reached out to Jesus about their sick brother, Lazarus, who ended up dying. When Jesus finally shows up four days after their brother died, Martha responds with this:
If you had been here.
One word that sums up how you and I so often respond to God’s questionable timing.
If you had been here, my brother would not have died. Martha knew His power, but she doubted His timing. Sounds familiar, huh? We know undoubtedly that God can change our situation, restore what was taken and make all things right, but why do we so often find our hearts questioning His goodness, His timing and His plan? The simple truth is this: our very limited perspective doesn’t always allow us to see the grand plan of all God is doing (see Isaiah 55:9).
Maybe that’s not as earth-shattering as you were hoping, but there’s something else you need to know, and we have to go back to the beginning of Martha’s story to see it.
When Jesus initially hears the news of Lazarus’ sickness, He responds:
Yes, to Martha, her brother’s death was indeed a seemingly missed opportunity for Jesus to show His power and might, His glory and goodness. But God had something much better in mind - something that would bring Him far more glory. Here’s what I desperately want you to know: the glory of healing a sick man pales in comparison to the glory of raising a dead man.
So among all the seemingly missed opportunities in your own life, I ask you this: what miracle is God making room for in your story?
Whatever it may be, I can tell you with full confidence that it will bring Him the most glory, no questions asked. That is of supreme importance. So lean into this season God has you - He’s not passing you up, He’s setting you up to bring Him the most glory. Know His power, trust His timing.
Sharable Quotes:
Jared Iler // Creative Director at Humbled Daily
3 comments
The Lord’s timing…man, that’s so good. I can 100% relate to feeling confused and angry because the Lord did not intervene when I felt He should have. Just this month I’ve encountered some hardships in relationships I valued greatly, but this blog has served as the perfect reminder to trust in His time tables. Thank you for this! Looking forward to more!
Amen!
The first blog post I’ve read by you guys. God’s timing truly is perfect. His timing in having me read this. Thank you for sharing this reminder of great hope! He is so good!!