Page 50 - Living Light Spring 2024

PRAYER FOR TODAY
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Friday April 26 - Now and then Jesus wept. John 11:35
It remains up for discussion why ‘Jesus wept’. Some know this as the shortest Bible verse, whilst others perhaps view it as a slightly ‘blasphemous’ cry of frustration when things go wrong. Surely the most satisfactory answer is that Jesus wept because he saw how hopeless the mourners were. He wanted them to see his Good News in action, and so he asked for the stone to be removed. Paul also insisted that as believers we see beyond grief, saying: ‘we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him’ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).
Once, a non-Christian lady asked me to pray for her poorly husband, who had been unconscious in ‘end of life’ care for two days. The next day was their wedding anniversary and she wanted comfort, so I prayed, and against all probability, he awoke after a short while and spent the anniversary smiling, laughing and celebrating with family. Two days later, he passed peacefully. Sometimes God does something miraculous in ‘the now’, but he always does something miraculous beyond death for the believer.
Father, I know you feel the pain of our loss, and through Jesus’ work, the promise of your Word, and the conviction of your Holy Spirit, we can be confident and know that we shall be raised. Amen.
Saturday April 27 - Never beyond hope
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32
It’s with a thinly veiled criticism that Mary greets Jesus: “He wouldn’t be dead if you had got here on time!” Jesus did purposely delay (John 11:6), and maybe she knew this. There’s no greater stress than having something that needs to happen within a certain tight time frame, whether it be submitting an application, having a medical procedure or buying a house. Worse still is when the deadline passes, and nothing has happened. We often ask, “Where were you God?”
In earlier times, Mary had chosen a higher spiritual path, sitting at Jesus’ feet, whilst Martha was stressed out, making dinner (Luke 10:38-42). Mary appears to be our example at this point. Later though, before Mary makes her veiled critique of Jesus, with tears, Martha meets Jesus with the same observation, that her brother would not have died with Jesus present. However, she adds a golden faith declaration: “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him” (John 11:21-22).
Jesus prayed for all present at the tomb, and then for Lazarus, calling him from the grave – because what we all need to know is that there is never, ever, a situation that is beyond hope in Jesus. Later, even when all seemed to be lost on that cruel cross, Sunday was coming.
Father, help me always to hope against hope, because when all seems lost, I am not. You are the same, yesterday, today and forever. I stand confidently in you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY