“Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’” — John 11:40 (NKJV)

These words of Jesus to Lazarus’ sister Martha, just before he was raised from the dead, should be a comfort to us all. We would all do well to believe and see God manifest His glory before us in all of its majestic wonder. For the most part we humans are an impatient lot; we want God to move on our schedule, within the finite limits that we have set for Him. When we are in such a rush we often miss the greater blessing that God has for us.

If Lazarus had not died Mary and Martha would not have seen the Glory of God as Jesus raised Lazarus from his grave. We are too quick to lose faith when God does not act according to our schedule. To his sisters Lazarus was beyond help and hope once he died, they did not understand that Jesus had not failed them. He had only delayed His coming so that a greater blessing might be bestowed.

We fail to realize that God does not have a finite mind like ours, His ways are not like ours, neither are His thoughts like ours. Isaiah 55:8-9. God is not limited as we are; He is not bound by, nor subject to, time. As Creator God, He is sovereign over all things, including time and our individual circumstances. He often works in mysterious ways that we can’t comprehend, but know this; He is always working to reveal Himself in all of His magnificent glory to those who will believe. Believe, and you will see His Glory revealed, as did Martha and Mary.

There’s that word — “believe” — that is at the center of what it means to be a Christian; a word that describes how we Christians are to live. Simply put, it means to entrust; entrust what? To entrust all that we are to the Lord Jesus. For it is in our total surrender that we are able to see His glory. No, friends, “believe” is much more than our agreeing that Jesus is Lord. It is to be devoted to the Truth of His Lordship, without reservation or fear. To “believe” is to risk all that we are on the Truth, Who cannot fail.

The Rev. Bobby Thornhill is a retired pastor.