"Better Than I" from Joseph King of Dreams
Sunday, November 3, 2013
God Knows "Better Than I"
Last week we studied John 11:1-16. Verses 4 through 6 were the most interesting to me. To someone who reads this passage for the first time it must be very confusing. I even wonder every time, “Why did Jesus do what he did? Why didn’t he go to Lazarus right away?” The answer is in verse 4, where it says, “When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”" The verses I find even more interesting are 5 and 6. Jesus had just found out that his friend Lazarus was very sick, and he knew what was going to happen. Instead of leaving everything and running to his friends to help them, Jesus stayed where he was. Verses 5 and 6 say, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." If I had written the story it would have sounded more like this, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. SO he left everything and ran as fast as he could to help his friend.” It makes more sense that way, right? However, this is my way not God’s way. In verse 4 it clearly says that this sickness would not end in death but would glorify God. God knows why he does the things he does and why he does it that way. He has a plan. There is a saying and TV show called “father knows best.” We can apply this to God. He knows best, not just better but best. He knows everything.
I often don’t realize how much I limit God. I often think that He can’t do this or that or something that is out of my reach is impossible to receive, but I have learned many times that it is not. At the beginning of this semester I had some issues with financial aid and was frustrated because the promised money didn’t come in on time. I had to pay a 5% fine on the overdue tuition. One half had been covered by a scholarship, but the other half still needed to be paid. Of course I didn’t have $2100 to balance my account, and I literally didn’t know what to do. A week after this happened I checked my financial aid account again and had received four grant and loan offers for this school year. The total amount offered, including my scholarship, was about $23,000. (On a side note, I am 24 now, so technically my parents can’t file me in their taxes, so I have to be independent.) When I saw that, my jaw dropped. I simply hadn’t expected anything like that. I hadn’t prayed for money but just a way to be able to pay the rest of my tuition. This was an unexpected answer to my worries and prayer beyond what I had in mind. Now I don’t have to worry about money for a while. God knew my trouble and looked farther ahead than I ever could have. He took care of me for the future. God knows BEST.
In my story verses 5 and 6 would sound like this, “Now Jesus loved Johanna. So when he heard she was worried and troubled he waited one more week.” In the Bible Lazarus did die and his sisters were devastated and even mad at Jesus. He taught them, though, that it was for a greater good. There was a reason behind his actions. He gave them the greatest miracle. He raised Lazarus from the dead, and he was perfectly healthy and normal again. So for me this means things won’t always/never go my way because I am only nearsighted and can’t see beyond the now.
I often don’t realize how much I limit God. I often think that He can’t do this or that or something that is out of my reach is impossible to receive, but I have learned many times that it is not. At the beginning of this semester I had some issues with financial aid and was frustrated because the promised money didn’t come in on time. I had to pay a 5% fine on the overdue tuition. One half had been covered by a scholarship, but the other half still needed to be paid. Of course I didn’t have $2100 to balance my account, and I literally didn’t know what to do. A week after this happened I checked my financial aid account again and had received four grant and loan offers for this school year. The total amount offered, including my scholarship, was about $23,000. (On a side note, I am 24 now, so technically my parents can’t file me in their taxes, so I have to be independent.) When I saw that, my jaw dropped. I simply hadn’t expected anything like that. I hadn’t prayed for money but just a way to be able to pay the rest of my tuition. This was an unexpected answer to my worries and prayer beyond what I had in mind. Now I don’t have to worry about money for a while. God knew my trouble and looked farther ahead than I ever could have. He took care of me for the future. God knows BEST.
In my story verses 5 and 6 would sound like this, “Now Jesus loved Johanna. So when he heard she was worried and troubled he waited one more week.” In the Bible Lazarus did die and his sisters were devastated and even mad at Jesus. He taught them, though, that it was for a greater good. There was a reason behind his actions. He gave them the greatest miracle. He raised Lazarus from the dead, and he was perfectly healthy and normal again. So for me this means things won’t always/never go my way because I am only nearsighted and can’t see beyond the now.
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