"TWO DAYS LONGER!!!"

John 11:1-16                     (ESV)

"1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped HIS feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.

3 So the sisters sent to HIM, saying, "LORD, he whom you love is ill."

4 But when JESUS heard it HE said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of GOD, so that the SON of GOD may be glorified through it."

5 Now JESUS loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 So, when HE heard that Lazarus was ill, HE stayed "TWO DAYS LONGER" in the place where HE was.

7 Then after this HE said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."

8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone YOU, and are YOU going there again?"

9 JESUS answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

11 After saying these things, HE said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him."

12 The disciples said to HIM, "LORD, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

13 Now JESUS had spoken of his death, but they thought that HE meant taking rest in sleep.

14 Then JESUS told them plainly, LAZARUS HAS DIED,

15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to HIS fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

It would be interesting to do a study on how many times it is mentioned in GOD's Word for us to 'be still, rest, wait, or slow down'?  And following that study, another inquiry to find out how many times GOD instructs a follower to 'figure it out, worry until you get an answer, or speed up' while doing MY work.  Are we more inclined to do what we "think" is best, rather than wait and see what GOD leads us to do?

JESUS gave a great example of working on GOD's timetable in John 11.  Lazarus was not someone who was JUST familiar with JESUS and HIS ministry.  Lazarus, Mary and Martha were some of JESUS' closest friends while here on earth.  JESUS was out doing GOD's work when word came to HIM that Lazarus was sick.  Most of us would drop what we were doing and hurried to the bedside to lend support and do what we could for Lazarus.  But JESUS always has glorifying the FATHER as HIS main objective!

With HIS friend in what could be described as current-day "ICU", JESUS continued where HE was "TWO DAYS LONGER".   Was HE involved in a miracle performing endeavor, or trying to increase the size of HIS following?  Was HE attempting to grow the offerings of HIS ministry or build a new building?  Scripture doesn't indicate exactly what JESUS did during those two days, only that HE loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and that HE waited "TWO DAYS LONGER"!  

As most of us are aware, Lazarus died during this time and was buried.  When JESUS arrived at the tomb where he was buried HE called for Lazarus to come out of the grave.  The main concern of JESUS was to glorify The FATHER.  Lazarus, eventually, physically died again.  But by waiting where HE was "TWO DAYS LONGER" JESUS was able to glorify GOD once again.  So the next time I am moved to hurry, or worry about a deadline, I need to remember that like Martha, Mary and Lazarus, JESUS loves me!  And that for GOD to be glorified, I may need to wait "TWO DAYS LONGER"!!!