Life-Giving Bible Verses for Womenਨਮੂਨਾ

When You Don’t Understand Why

Jesus’s actions made no sense. When Mary and Martha sent word that their brother was sick, Jesus stayed where He was, allowing Lazarus to suffer, painfully decline, and die, all when Jesus could have healed him immediately. John 11:5 tells us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, but His inaction seemed anything but loving. By human logic, love would rush to Lazarus’s side and heal him.

Jesus’s response is illogical from a human standpoint, but He truly did stay away because of His great love for His friends. In fact, He had a plan that far outweighed the healing the sisters asked for. They wanted Lazarus to get well, but He planned to show His power over death. Such an act would also cause those who knew Lazarus to believe and word about Jesus to spread like wildfire.

When Jesus finally arrived two days later, Mary and Martha wrestled with why Jesus had stayed away, both saying, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” His actions seemed callous, cruel even, withholding good from those He claimed to love. We are often in Mary and Martha’s shoes, not understanding why God allowed tragedy to strike or hasn’t answered a prayer we’ve prayed for decades. Our natural response is to lean on our own understanding rather than trusting that God has a greater plan than ours.

Mary and Martha were soon blown away by their brother’s resurrection. The timing, which had once seemed so cruel, was impeccable. Because of Jesus’s timing, not only were the sisters and Lazarus blessed, but “many … believed in Him.” Many Jews had come to comfort Mary and Martha in their grief, and Jesus performed the miracle before their eyes, showing His power over death so that others might believe and be saved. This, dear sister, is the God we serve, the God whose plan is good, whose timing is perfect, and who has a purpose in all He does.

Pray: Jesus, I don’t understand why You have allowed things to turn out the way they have. Help me to trust that Your plan is better than mine and that You have a purpose in all You do. Help me not to lean on my understanding, but on Your goodness.