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PROGRAM D-7980
Does it seem to you that God is silent in your life right now? There is a story in the Bible that will encourage you. The Gospel of John tells about Jesus’ friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. When Jesus found out that Lazarus was ill, he didn’t rush to heal him. Instead, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days (John 11:6). Before Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus died.
To Mary and Martha, Jesus’ silence was a great puzzle. They both said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, our brother would not have died.” You can hear the questions in their words—why, why, why? They knew Jesus could have gotten there in time if he had wanted to, and they knew he could have healed Lazarus. They could not understand. Certainly, they could have interpreted Jesus’ actions as neglect—that Jesus didn’t care or didn’t want to help them.
But there was a purpose for Jesus’ silence; Mary and Martha just couldn’t see it at that time. They couldn’t see his footprints because these were unseen footprints. Jesus used his silence to do something greater. Four days after he died, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus, showing his power! As a result, many came to saving faith.
You may never be able to decipher exactly how all of life’s pieces fit and what they all mean, but that’s when you need to exercise the even-if-he-doesn’t faith. You must remain faithful and obedient to the God who is still in control, still sovereign, and still holding you in his hand—even though you don’t see or feel it. This is the kind of faith that’s pleasing to God—a faith that’s determined to trust him when he hasn’t answered all the questions, and when you haven’t heard any voice from heaven.
God will speak to you through his Word, perhaps not answering the question “Why?” but revealing the all-important “Who.” You can rest in the knowledge that you and I will never, in this life, understand completely all of God’s ways—they are and always will be above our ways. We have to resist trying to explain an unexplainable God.
Instead, would you choose to trust God and continue believing he has a plan and a purpose, even though the future looks dark? Will you choose to believe that his footprints are there in your life, even though you may not see them right now? Will you choose to trust that he is working for your good?