During the past few weeks, we have explored in both different facets and contexts, the importance of our ability to dwell in God. In reflecting back on our "Guidance (Part 1)" post, we expounded on our ability to both seek God for direction and trust whatever it is that He is leading us to do. We prompted some thoughts for reflection as a means of helping us to begin to dissect what hinders our ability to simply trust God concerning the path that He tells us to take. Let's continue to move forward in understanding the importance and need for us to look to God for guidance, but now we'll take that "ABILITY TO DWELL IN HIM" factor and use it to guide our discussion. Let's Explore!

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In "Guidance (Part One)", as we discussed guidance in a general sense, we used the following definitions of guidance:

• advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty, especially as given by someone in authority,

• the directing of the motion or positioning of something.

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Let's add to these definitions by including the following:

• the act or function of guiding; leadership; direction,

• to indicate, to point out, and to show the way.

 

 

"Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."
- Psalm 25:5 (NIV)

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In reflecting on Psalm 25:5, and as we think of why many of us struggle to allow God to guide us, one of the biggest 'aha' moments rests in the first few words of the verse which reads, "Guide me in your truth"... 

 

It is that "truth" aspect alone that is the reason why many of us struggle to be guided by God. How so? 

 

When God guides us, regardless of what it concerns, it is always going to be based on truth. And the issue with that for some of us is that we can't always accept God's truth as our truth, because accepting God's truth might steer us away from where we want to go, what we want to do, and both who and what we want to have and/or acquire. Because many of us have a desire to appease our flesh, we at times can pretend not to know; and neglect, reject, and ignore the fact that there are certain people, places, and things that just aren't good for us. Whether it is because these things distract us, harm us, tempt us, slow us down, hinder our progress, or stunt our growth whether spiritually or in life, all of these reasons all lead to our steering away from God and where He wants us to go.

 

If we allow God to guide us, being that HE WILL ALWAYS GUIDE US IN TRUTH, that then places the responsibility of obedience on us to do things in the way that God is requiring of us to do them. And because obedience means the possibility of perhaps our not being able to get what we want, when we want it, and how we want it, we don't want anything that is going to give us a clear picture of what the things around us are, because once we recognize things for what they are, we then have to make a decision as to how we are going to move forward. And the thought of our having to move forward and possibly having to leave some of those things that we both thought that we could have and/or achieve behind, causes us to be unwilling participants in the command of obedience to God. We all complain about both wanting and needing the clarity to make the best decisions concerning the things that we deal with in our daily lives, but we don't want clarity as much as we want God to clarify...

 

"why we have to?"  or  "why we can't?", 
                                                        "will He?"  or  "won't He?", 
                                                                                               and "if we?"  or " can we?". 

 

The problem is that we want God to give us clarification regarding if we can have what we want or if He will give us what we have asked for. We want God to give us clarification concerning if we should or should not make the move. But we don't want the clarity concerning the whys behind why we should or shouldn't, whether we can or can't, or whether God will or won't. 

We want the extra details from God when it is convenient for us and if and when we think the extra details will be beneficial or work to our favor. But when the clarity behind the clarification that we have asked God for presents us with evidence that what we want is not what we need, that who we want is not who God desires for us, and when God starts to show us the truth behind all of these things that we don't want to know the full truths of, we don't want clarity. If truth be told, many of us ask God for clarity but what we're really asking for is "PERMISSION". We want to know whether we can or can't, but don't want the full truth if it is not going to tell us what we want to hear or lead us in the way that we want to go.

 

Many of us might seek God concerning that individual that we are debating about in our hearts, trying to figure out whether or not we should move forward with them. And upon seeking God, we begin to get all kinds of warning signs which should be a clear indication that the answer is "RUN". However, despite the warning signs, we move forward, still asking God for a "YES" or "No" answer because although the warning signs are there, we don't want to heed them. Therefore, it's easier for us to pretend 
not to know and instead keep asking God for a "YES" or "NO", rather than taking a step back to see if God might be speaking to us by revealing "TRUTH" rather than answering by standard reply.

 

We must understand that God is omniscient, which means that He knows all things. God already knew that giving you a simple "YES" or "NO" was not going to give you what you needed to know. Therefore, as a means of protecting you, He started to allow things to happen so that you could see the "TRUTH" concerning that individual. However, because you wanted what you wanted, you kept ignoring God's warnings and walking further and further into something that was not for you. The truth is
that you were not asking God for a background check of that individual. You just wanted to know if it was okay to have lunch with them. You never wanted the full details. What you really wanted was elbow room in which you could keep pursuing and pursuing, seeing how far God would allow you to go before He stopped you. You wanted to at least get some type of appeasement out of it before you had to completely let it go. The truth is that you wanted to get as many perks as you could out of this encounter before God gave you any details because you wanted to be able to proceed in 'doing you' without guilt, conviction, or the responsibility of doing it God's way. You did not want clarity, you wanted a 'safe to play' pass. We have to take heed when God guides us. We must heed when He gives us clarity and when He gives us those warnings. We must realize that trying to gain temporary sensations is not worth the long-term or permanent damage that may occur as a result of our not wanting to be guided.​​

 

 

 

                                                                      The Replies and Warnings of Guidance                        

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"Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” -1 Samuel 8:9 (NIV)

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"But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us.

Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

-1 Samuel 8:19-20 (NIV)

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"When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord.

The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king...”

-1 Samuel 8:21-22 (NIV)

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The Israelites were always crying out to God for something, complaining about something, looking at what they thought they did not have, or finding some way to anger God. For those of us who are familiar with the story of Saul, we know that Saul was not the king that God wanted for Israel. However, because Israel kept insisting that they be given a king like all the other nations had, God told Samuel to listen to them and give them what they were asking for. But God told Samuel to be sure to WARN them about who this king was and what this king would do. Samuel therefore warned the people. Although Samuel was a prophet of noble character who was upright and trustworthy and although the people understood God's warnings that Samuel was giving to them, that still was not enough to wake them up and make them think twice about what they were about to step into. In 1 Samuel 8:18, after Samuel had given them all of the warnings as God instructed of him, he then states, "When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day" (NIV). Israel indeed paid the price for having Saul as king although God was working it for His good plan and purposes.

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In God leading us in truth, it is not just about Him teaching us sound doctrine and instilling in us the truths about His Word or the gospel of Christ, but in His leading us in truth, that is Him also making clear to us the reality of who and what we are dealing with. God imparts His knowledge, wisdom, and understanding within us to both cover us and steer us in and on the right path. When we seek God for things, He at times answers by showing us the truths of the who, what, when, where, how, and whys. However, much like the Israelites, we want what we want. Especially because much like them, we think that God giving us what we are asking for is going to give us security, status, and put us on a level with everybody else. It is interesting and speaks to the truth of how much we get on God's nerves when God saw the need to tell the Israelites in advance, "When you get what you want, don't come crying to me about it, because I'm not going to entertain you" (reference 1: Samuel 8:18 above). Those are not the words that God used but that in essence is what He was relating to them. God knows that we have a habit of either asking Him for things or seeking His face for things and even after He answers, if it's not what we want to hear or do, we go and do it our way, so that we can get what we want. And then when things go wrong, we go to back Him complaining and begging for Him to save us from the mess that we made WHEN HE CLEARLY WARNED US IN ADVANCE that it would be a disaster!

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There is something in us that has the false notion that when God gives us direction, if we choose to still do it our own way, that it just might work to our benefit after all. NO IT WON'T! Understand that even if you achieve or obtain what you wanted by doing it your way versus the way that God told you to do it, IT WON'T EVER be to your benefit, because our way will never and can never be more beneficial or rewarding than God's. Abraham and Sarah got the child that they wanted by doing it their way and using Hagar instead of waiting on God. However, though they got a son out of it, consider the calamity and woes that were attached to it. They were successful in getting what they wanted because they got Ishmael, but Isaac was the promise. Isaac was God's plan. Abraham and Sarah got what they wanted when they did it their way, but they also got a whole lot of things that they did not want and did not expect. Furthermore, God allowed them to do it their way and then made them let go of what they thought they had gained.

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Whether it is concerning moving further along in a relationship, applying for or taking a job offer, relocating, joining a different church, changing doctors, starting a new health regimen, making a purchase, or joining an organization, no matter what it is, we must seek God concerning these things, and then act upon what He is telling us, while heeding the truths that might be revealed to us as a result of our seeking and being guided by Him.

 

Dwelling in God for Direction           

 

We expounded on the following two passages in "Serenity-Pt. 3: Wisdom to Know the Difference", but let's reflect on these passages from a different facet.

 

"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, 'Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?' The Lord answered him, 'Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” -2 Samuel 5:17-19 (NIV)

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"Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.' So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from 
Gibeon to Gezer" (NIV). -2 Samuel 5:22-25 (NIV)

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When David officially took the throne, the Philistines spread out to attack him and as a result, David went to God and inquired of Him two things. David inquired (1) if he should go and attack the Philistines, and (2) if God was going to deliver them into his hands. God responds by telling David to "Go" and also lets David know that He would surely deliver the Philistines into his hands. God's response to David in a general sense was, "YES!".

 

However, when the Philistines once again spread out in an attempt to attack David, this time when David inquires of the Lord,  God does not give him a response as simple as "Go" or "Yes", but God tells David exactly how he is to go about this attack of the Philistines. God was not just answering David by giving him the permission to go forward in battle, but God was clarifying to him how to proceed and making him aware of what he needed to pay attention to. In learning this, David did not choose to do it his own way based on what he had done before, but HE FOLLOWED GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS. David looked to God for guidance and accepted how God was leading him to address this battle that he was up against.

 

There are times in which God will give us 'permission' to proceed, and then there are times in which God will give us the 'clarity' to proceed as a means of covering and protecting us, and as a means of drawing our attention to a particular point of interest or facet concerning what we are embarking on or stepping into. God will at times give us 'truths' concerning what we are up against as a means of showing us the hands of those who seek to destroy or bring harm upon us, as well as to open our eyes to what we are surrounded by. BUT WE MUST TO BE WILLING TO HEED THE WARNINGS, which will always be difficult if we are not dwelling in God like we should.

 

If we reflect back on Psalm 25:5, David states, "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (NIV). David was one who wholeheartedly dwelled in God in ALL HIS WAYS! David did not just seek God for some things, but David sought God concerning all things. In Psalm 25, David speaks to God requesting that God not just guide him, but David attaches two very important facets to his request for guidance. David asks God to both guide him in His truth and to teach him. David understood the importance of being guided by God's truths. God's truths keep us from all the false narrative that steers us away from the knowledge of God and out of the will of God. If we look at David's request to God for guidance, it takes us back to those other two definitions of guidance that we added to this week's discussion:

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• the act or function of guiding; leadership; direction

• to indicate, to point out, and to show the way

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David understood God's role in his life. David acknowledged God as his Savior. And in David acknowledging God as his Savior, that allowed him to place himself in the appropriate role as the learner. David understood that God, being his Savior, was also the Shepherd over him who was responsible for leading and guiding him in the direction that he needed to go, which made David responsible for following wherever it was that God was leading. In this verse we see that David is not just depending on God to guide him, he is not just acknowledging God's role in his life, but he is also placing his full confidence in God. He is seeking, depending, and trusting in God for direction.  

 

One of our biggest issues is that we want the outcome of being guided by God, but we don't want the process of having to be guided by Him. The outcome of Abraham's ability to allow God to guide him is of great reward and benefit to all of us. However, the path that Abraham had to take and the obedience that was required of him, are ones that none of us if we were to be honest would neither want nor choose to have to take or act upon. 

 

When we look to God for guidance, we must accept that He has to guide us. We can't ask God for guidance and then detour when the directions are not favorable. Many of us might put an address into our GPS system and the route guidance starts off fine, but when we realize that the GPS is taking us in what we consider to be an 'out the way' route, because we know a quicker path, we ignore the GPS' directions and go the way that we want to go until we reach unfamiliar territory in which we then choose to allow the GPS to navigate us again. Or some of us, as soon as the GPS starts to take us through too many twists and turns, we shut it off, agree to be lost, and figure it out on our own rather than having to keep taking what seems like unnecessary twists and turns. Not only is that an example of how some of us interact with our GPS systems, but that is also an example as to how many of us interact with God. We allow ourselves to be guided by God up until we feel like His path is too much, too long, too complicated, or too unpredictable to follow. Many of us proclaim that we want God to show us the way, but the truth is that what we really want is for God to show us where the finish line is, so that we can strategize what is the easiest and less expensive path that will get us there and keep us happy while we journey along. 

 

Dwelling in God is about our ability to live our lives according to His instructions and commands. It is about our ability to remain in constant contact and connection with Him. It is about our ability to permanently rest and abide in Him. It is about our ability to seek Him. It is about allowing ourselves to be guided by Him. Proverbs 29:26 states, "Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice" (NIV). If we reflect back on the Israelites and their wanting a king, the wisdom presented within this verse is wisdom that they could not grasp. They wanted an earthly king to fight for and defend them not realizing that
no earthly king could do for them what God could do or had already done. God kept them in the wilderness for forty years and all that they had remained intact. Nothing wore out. They did not starve. God did not abandon them. Yet, that was not enough for them to recognize that having God as their ruler gave them protection, provision, and vindication that no earthly man could provide them with. They wanted an earthly man to give them justice, yet GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS OMNIPOTENT AND HAS ALL SOVEREIGNTY! WHY COULD THEY NOT GRASP THAT?! The answer is simple. "FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT WE DON'T!" 

 

Before we point our finger at the Israelites, the reason that many of us can't allow ourselves to be guided by God is because we place all of our trust and dependence on "earthly kings" of some type. We seek what we want from our loved ones, our churches, our jobs, and from government, NOT REALIZING THAT GOD CAN GIVE US MORE IF WE BUT SEEK HIM AND FOLLOW THE WAY IN WHICH HE LEADS US TO GO! We must realize that when the "earthly kings" or whomever it is that we are placing our trust in and depending on fail us or tell us "NO", God is the one who can turn that "No" into a "YES" Our truth is that it is hard for many of us not to place these earthly kings in higher reverence than God because they are the ones that stand before us in human form, approving or not approving our loans, approving or not approving our time-off requests, approving or not approving our raises and promotions, approving or not approving our relocation, approving or not approving our credit, and all those other things that we pray to God about but look to man to make happen for us.

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Now, do these people have earthly authority? Yes, they do. But while they can deny us, make our schedules, sign our paychecks, approve our benefits, release our pensions, control our 401ks, and control all those other things that we sweat for, yet they keep under their authority, THEY CANNOT CONTROL GOD! They can deny us, BUT THEY CAN'T DENY GOD! They might try to defeat and hold us down, BUT THEY CAN'T BEAT GOD! Because 'man' is going to be 'man' and govern based on rules, protocol, policy, procedure, law, greed, power, ego, and control, WE MUST DWELL IN THE ONE WHO CAN SHUT IT ALL DOWN WITHOUT A PHONE CALL, AN OFFICIAL LETTER, A BOARD MEETING, or A COURT ORDER! IF AND WHEN GOD WANTS IT TO HAPPEN, HE CAN AND WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!

 

The Blessing of Following Command           

 

Lazarus lay in a tomb. Lazarus had been seen by many. Lazarus had been mourned for. Lazarus had been wrapped in strips of linen with a cloth placed around his face. Lazarus was considered by all who knew him, to be dead. Days had passed since Lazarus had been placed in that tomb. Yet, all it took was for Jesus to go to the place where Lazarus lay and command him to "Come forth!", and just like that, out came Lazarus with all those things that were tied around him unraveling. AND ARE WE
ANY DIFFERENT?! If Jesus could do what he did for Lazarus, regardless of what situation that we find ourselves in, if we follow what God commands of us, cannot we too "Come forth", causing all those things that have us tied up to become unraveled? Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth, and Lazarus did as God instructed! Just by God commanding of us what to do and we following whatever it is that He tells us, can that not cause the things in our lives that seem like they were not going anywhere to suddenly move?  

 

John 12:2 reads, "Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him" (NIV). Here it is the same Lazarus that everybody had considered dead, reclining at the table with Jesus. Here it was, the same Lazarus who they had considered to be done and over with, living the 'good life' dining with Jesus, because he had the ability to follow what the Lord had commanded of him to do. Now this is not giving any power to Lazarus, because all 
power for this miracle rested in the hands of the Father through the Son. But if we were to really grasp the many revelations concerning this narrative, how often do we miss our miracle or that thing that we have been waiting for because we don't follow what God commands of us? If Lazarus was dead and got up and rose when God commanded him to, can you imagine what we, with all life in us, would be able to do if and when we follow what God is commanding of us.

 

We must recognize that GOD HAS ALL POWER, TO DO ANYTHING, but we must be willing to follow and be guided by the God of ALL POWER! Lazarus was considered dead but then we find him dwelling amongst Jesus at dinner, putting GOD'S GLORY on the table for all of Jesus' haters to feast upon. The chief priests were so bothered that they plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus because they felt like their authority was being challenged. They realized that they could not compete with the one and only G.O.A.T. (Side Note: STOP WORRYING ABOUT PEOPLE NOT LIKING YOU! WHENEVER YOU ROLL WITH JESUS, HAVING HATERS IS AN AUTOMATIC!)

 

Lazarus was considered dead but was awake enough to respond to what Jesus had commanded him to do. And yet here many of us are with breath and blood running through our bodies, being naturally awake, but dead-on-arrival because at the point in which God commands something of us, we fail to move and follow His command. And what speaks to the importance of being careful who we roll with is the fact that Lazarus was resting. He was not able to get up and go and ask Jesus to resurrect him. There was no life in him therefore he was not aware enough to know that he needed help. However, his sisters Mary and Martha realized that he needed help. Most importantly, they understood both who and what Jesus was. Lazarus had people in his life who knew who to call on. It was Mary and Martha who sent word to Jesus letting him know that Lazarus was sick. And what happens next speaks to the fact that just as we stated during last week's discussion, nothing is an emergency to God. God does not panic about anything because He knows that He is in charge of all things. And His Son was no different when he walked the earth. Jesus was very much human, but because he understood who both him and his Father were, he deemed nothing an emergency. Therefore, when he received word that Lazarus was sick, he did not panic and rush off to see about him. Jesus kept at what he was doing. If we review John 11:4,14-15, Jesus states the following:

 

“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (v. 4, NIV).

“Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him” (vs. 14-15, NIV).

 

Jesus did not deem Lazarus' situation an emergency because first of all, in verse 4, he had already said that Lazarus' illness would not end in death. What is interesting is that in verse 11, Jesus tells his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up” (NIV). And because the disciples are confused and think that Jesus is suggesting that Lazarus was naturally asleep, he then goes on to tell them that Lazarus is dead. Now if we were to simply read these verses, it would seem that Jesus contradicted himself because many of us interpret that Jesus said that Lazarus would not die and then later on tells his disciples that Lazarus is dead. And because it is not possible for the Father neither the Son to contradict themselves, let's go back to verse 4 and reflect on exactly what it was that Jesus said. In John 11:4, Jesus says:

 

“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (NIV).
"This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (NKJV).
"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” (ESV).

 

Regardless of the translation, Jesus NEVER SAID that Lazarus was not going to die. Jesus said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death. And it didn't. Lazarus did die but the illness did not end in death because Jesus resurrected him. His illness ended in victory. And this leads us to some major takeaways from the story of Lazarus, Let's discuss a few of them:

 

(1) As it concerns being guided by God, we discussed how God will give us clarity. When we choose to dwell in God, there are certain things that His Spirit makes us aware of so that we are able to both look at and approach things according to the Spirit. Jesus had told the disciples to go with him back to Judea but there was some hesitance on their part. Jesus had just angered the Jews in Judea by his teachings. The Jews could not accept Jesus proclaiming himself to be the Son of God. The Jews could not accept that Jesus put himself at one with God. However, Jesus understood that although this place was deemed a dangerous place for him to go back to, God had a miracle for him to perform. Jesus was not worried about what the Jews would do to him because he understood and had faith in whose he was. Despite the disciples reminding him of the dangers of Judea, Jesus tells them that they must go back because Lazarus had fallen asleep and he was going so that he could wake him up. The disciples were confused and they say to Jesus, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better" (v.12, NIV). This is when Jesus makes it plain to them that Lazarus was dead. Jesus was instructing his disciples to go back with him because he was going to Lazarus to wake him up, to resurrect him.

 

Consider this. We have spoke of the importance of our dwelling in God. We have discussed how when we dwell in God, and as God gives us direction, and as we look to Him for guidance, He will provide us with clarity concerning those things that we don't understand as He sees fit. We don't know exactly who Jesus was speaking to when he stated that Lazarus' illness would not end in death. We are not told if this is what Jesus said to the ones who delivered the message to him or if this is what was said to the disciples when Jesus received the message. We just know that he declared to someone that the sickness would not end in death. However, we know that the disciples are aware that Lazarus is sick because when Jesus states that he has to go wake him up, they tell him that if Lazarus is sleep then he'll get better.

 

All of this is being said to illustrate the importance of our ability to dwell in God as a means of allowing Him to give us clarity. Because the disciples were under the impression that Lazarus was simply sleeping, Jesus plainly tells them that Lazarus is dead. Now suppose instead of dwelling with him, and staying alongside him, his disciples would have veered off to do their own thing after they had found out about Lazarus illness? Suppose some of them had veered off right at the moment that Jesus had told them that Lazarus was asleep and that he needed to go wake him up? If they had separated from him at either of these points, they never would have been given the clarity nor the 'truth' that Lazarus was dead. It was important that the disciples know this, and Jesus made sure to make it clear to them because it was imperative that they understand the state of Lazarus' condition before they journeyed to where Jesus was instructing them to go with him. If the disciples would not have dwelled with Jesus and instead went their own way, never gaining clarity concerning Lazarus, and upon later on hearing that Lazarus had passed, they might have perhaps thought that Jesus failed them. They could have perhaps thought that what Jesus said did not go in the way that Jesus said it would go. Better yet, they could have possibly chosen not to go to the place in which this miracle was going to be performed because their thinking that Jesus 'got it wrong' could have caused them not to try to get to where Lazarus was to see with their own eyes what had taken place. 

 

Furthermore, if the disciples would not have dwelled with Jesus and instead went their own way before Jesus made it clear that Lazarus was dead and if they did not go back with him to Judea, they perhaps would not have believed the story that Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead. They would have perhaps tried to convince people that Jesus did not raise Lazarus from the dead because Lazarus never died. Because the disciples hung on to what Jesus said, they would have possibly stood firm on the fact that Jesus told them that Lazarus was only asleep. They would have perhaps stood firm on the fact the Jesus said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death therefore not accepting what anybody else said took place between Jesus and  Lazarus. But because they dwelled with Jesus and because Jesus wanted them to have full clarity concerning Lazarus' condition so that they would understand the miracle of what they were about to witness, Jesus needed to clarify to those who dwelled with him (the disciples) that Lazarus was dead so that there would be no confusion about what God was about to do through him. This is why Jesus says to them, "For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him" (v.15, NIV). Jesus did not want anyone being confused about whether he rose Lazarus from the dead or simply woke him out of his sleep. 

 

This would not be the first time that Jesus rose someone from the dead, therefore, his disciples knew that he could do it. However, Jesus still needed to make clear to them that Lazarus was dead so that they would see with their own eyes and conceive in their hearts and minds, what exactly it was that he had done. 

 

(2) Upon Jesus giving his disciples clarity that Lazarus was dead and not asleep, he then instructs them to go with him. And because of this, they follow and are able to see the miracle for themselves. And before we go any further, let's stop right here and apply all of this into our own lives.

 

In "God, "SAY WHAT?!", we expressed that it is very important that when God speaks to us, that we listen carefully to what it is He is saying. This also applies to reading the Word of God. When we read the Word, we must ask God to open up our understanding as to what it is that He is saying. Because many of us use words interchangeably and say one thing when we mean another, we tend to forget that GOD DOES NOT! GOD IS EXACT IN ALL THAT HE SAYS AND DOES! When God speaks to us and when we read the Word, we cannot interpret it based on what we think. We must ask God to provide us with clarity and understanding. It is very easy for us to read John 11 and interpret that Jesus saying that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death meant that Lazarus was not going to die. But Jesus did not use the wrong words neither did he mislead the disciples.

 

Jesus said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death. And he was able to say this because he knew what he was going to do. It is also for this reason that Jesus initially tells his disciples that Lazarus is asleep. Jesus knows that Lazarus has died, but because he also knows that he is going to raise him up, he acknowledges him as sleep and not dead, because he speaks of Lazarus according to what is going to be and not based upon what currently is. Jesus also considers Lazarus to be asleep because of the assurance that he is the resurrection and those who believe in him, do not die. However, because he is aware that the disciples don't understand what he is saying, he speaks to them in a language that they can understand. He speaks to them based on what currently is. AND AS WE DWELL IN GOD, THAT IS WHAT WE MUST COME TO UNDERSTAND! GOD SPEAKS TO US BASED ON WHAT HE KNOWS! HE AT TIMES, WILL ALSO SPEAK TO US BASED ON WHAT IS GOING TO BE! Therefore, there will be times in which what God says to us may not look like what stands before us. 

 

God told Abraham that He was going to make a great nation out of him. God told Abraham that He was going to make his name great. God told Abraham that all the people of the world would be blessed through him. God told Abraham that he and Sarah would conceive a son. At the time that God promised Abraham these things, nothing in Abraham's life looked like what God was promising him, which is why Abraham had to TRUST GOD AT HIS WORD!

 

Although Jesus' disciples were the earthly beings that were closest to him, and although they journeyed with him, there are many things that Jesus both said and did that they did not understand. If we reflect on Matthew 13:10, there was a point in which Jesus' disciples ask him, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” (NIV), and Jesus responds saying, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them" (v. 11, NIV). Not everyone is entitled to the knowledge, discernment, and revelations of God. For those who seek God, whose hearts are opened to receiving these things, for those who yearn and have a desire to understand God and to understand His truths, He makes these things known to them. For those whose hearts aren't receptive and are not open to receiving the things of God, He does not make these things known to them nor does He force it upon them. Jesus spoke in parables as a means of imparting his revelation and knowledge of who he was to those who wanted and were willing to heed it. When we dwell in God, when we open our hearts up to Him, we become privy to the revelations of his truths. So, while Jesus at times spoke to the disciples through parables and spoke to them based on his knowledge and understanding of things, he both accepted and understood that there were some things that he still had to make plain to them. Jesus understood that although they dwelled with him, because of both who and whose he was, there were still things that were going to be beyond their natural understanding.

 

At many times we might become angry because we feel like God did not do what He said He would do. However, in these moments we need to go back and reflect on what it is that God said and ask God to open up our understanding of what it is that He said, because it might very well be possible that we interpreted it wrong.

 

We have a habit of interpreting what God says based on what we want to hear. We might have all had moments in which we were dealing with something and God told us not to worry because He was going to make everything well. Upon hearing this we might have had full confidence and been in utter joy concerning the situation, until everything around us came crashing down. And the first thing we did when we found ourselves in the fire was think to ourselves, "But God said it was going to be well!". We end up disappointed and angry at God because we feel like He did not do what He said He would do. However, when God said not to worry because He was going to make everything well, understand that:

 

• (A) God may have told you that He was going to "make everything well" as a warning because He knew what you were about to encounter. God knew that He was going to allow you to be thrown into the fire. Therefore, in advance of Him allowing it, He told you not to worry because He knew that He controlled the outcome. But because you interpreted it as "everything is going to be good", you thought that chaos would not meet you at your doorstep. God did not tell you that everything was going to be good, He told you that He was going to "make everything well". There is a difference between the two. At the point of finding yourself in chaos, had you held on to what God said regardless of what was in front of you and declared that God was going to make everything well, you might have come to recognize what God had really said and why it was that He had said it. We at times become so caught up in our trials that instead of asking for clarity, revelation, or for God to reveal Himself to us, we are asking for "OUT"! Instead of asking God for the strength, patience, endurance, and an increase in our faith, we are asking for "OUT"! When God speaks to us, we have to declare whatever it is that He tells us even if and when we don't understand it. Even when the things around us don't look like a representation of what it is that God has said we must still declare whatever it is that He has promised us.

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• (B) Another reason that God said that He was going to "make everything well" is because NOTHING IS AN EMERGENCY TO GOD! NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD! Regardless of what we are faced with IT IS ALWAYS GOD'S INTENTION TO MAKE ALL THINGS WELL FOR US! God can declare to us that He will make everything well and then allow us to be thrown into the pit because the pit does not faze Him. GOD FEARS NOTHING. Therefore, while we categorize all of our trials as "BAD", God categorizes them as "PROVISION", "PROSPERITY", "REWARD", "PROMISE", "VINDICATION", and "VICTORY", because He is using all of these "BAD" things to bring to us the "GOOD"! This is why we must dwell in God, stick with Him, and allow Him to lead, guide, and impart His understanding upon us. God imparting understanding upon us is not always about giving us the why's behind what we are going through as much as it's about Him giving us the understanding that He is working it for our good.  

 

If we consider the fact that Jesus did not go to see about Lazarus upon finding out that he was sick and if we consider Jesus telling his disciples that for their sake, he was glad that he was not there before Lazarus died so that they might believe, it was never Jesus' intention to prevent Lazarus from dying. It was God's intention to wait until Lazarus was not just dead, but in the tomb, before He sent Jesus to raise him up.  This was going to be a miracle that Jesus performed that no one could credit that Jesus did through any other power besides God's. God wanted to wait until Lazarus died so that people would witness the true, real, ultimate, and uncapable of being duplicated power that rested within His Son. At times God will wait until we're on our last lifeline, one step from eviction, one day from repossession, one day from final payment due, or one credit short of graduation, before He steps in and makes both Himself and His power known. God at times has to do things in a way that is going to bring all glory to Him. Our truth is that it in many cases, God's way might be frustrating because we are not trying to have to be hanging from a limb before God rescues us. 

Because Jesus' disciples dwelled with him, they received clarity. Because his disciples accepted his truths, they were then able to go where he had instructed them to go in order to witness the miracle that he would perform with the power given him by his Father. If we dwell in God, seek His face, and receive the clarity and heed the truths that He imparts within us, then we will be better able to go wherever it is that God leads us to go so that we can be firsthand witnesses to His power. No matter how uncertain the path might look, if we dwell in God and obey His commands by going in the direction that He is leading us to go, we will put ourselves in a position in which we too will be able to witness miracles. 

 

Jesus' disciples were able to physically dwell with him as he walked the earth. They followed when, where, and how he led them. Although Jesus has fulfilled his role as an earthly being, that does not exclude us from the gift of dwelling with him. When we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus as the Son who was born, crucified, and resurrected, we too dwell with him but in a different way. The disciples dwelled with him by believing in him, doing the work of he and his Father, and by physically walking alongside him. We dwell with him by receiving salvation, accepting him into our hearts, and allowing him and his Father to dwell in us through the Spirit. While the disciples walked alongside him, we can walk according to his ways. And just as the disciples followed when, where, and how he led them to go, we can do the same when we accept and allow ourselves to be guided by His Spirit that rests within us. 

Who Are We Turning To?                      

 

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." -Psalm 9:10 (NIV)

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always." -Psalm 105:4 (NIV)

  
In Psalm 25, David proclaimed that his hope was in God AT ALL TIMES! We must trust that God is capable of guiding us in a way that gives us the ultimate benefit even if does not appease our flesh. One of the reasons that we find it difficult to both seek and accept God's guidance is because we want what we desire and we want it without frustration. We want the things that we obtain to make us feel good, but God's path does not always do that. We find it difficult to both seek God and allow Him to guide us because while we know that God is omniscient, there are times in which something in us wrestles with believing that He knows what we personally want. We wrestle with trusting God with the specifics of what we want because we know that He may not give it to us when, where, or how we want it. There are many of us who struggle to seek and allow God to guide us because we don't think that God understands that we don't want a substitute of what we are asking for. There are many of us who struggle to accept God's guidance concerning those things that we want because we want it 'EXACTLY' as we requested it. We want it 'our way'.

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We must bring ourselves to a point in which we understand that GOD WILL NOT FORSAKE US, and because He won't forsake us, when we dwell in and place our full trust in Him, and He in turn gives us the desires of our hearts, He is not going to give them to us in a way that is going to allow those things to work against us. He is going to give us the desires of our hearts in a way that benefits us and not bring harm upon us. If we reflect on Jeremiah 29:11, which is a very familiar passage, God states that His plans are to prosper and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. God is going to give us the desires of our heart, but He is not going to give us these things in a way or means that is not beneficial to us. 

 

If we reflect back on our discussion of the Israelites wanting a king, they did not understand that even when we want things, it is imperative that we seek God and ask Him what His desires for us are. God already had in mind who would be His chosen king. God already had plans for Israel and had they waited on God to give them the desires of their hearts, they could have avoided a lot of hardship. We know that God does not have afterthoughts. Everything that God will ever do has already been done. There are a few facets to explore concerning this: 

 

(1) If we think about it, God already had plans to give Israel a king. However, we must understand that God knows the intents of our hearts. Israel wanted a king for selfish reasons. Israel wanted a king because they wanted to be like all of the other nations. They wanted a king because they did not trust God nor did they have any reverence for Him. Therefore, God gave them exactly what they asked Him for. God had to show them that they did not know what was best for them. God had to show them the difference in their having man to lead and protect them versus having Him. God had to show them that what they were seeking after was not only vain, self-fulfilled, and showed disregard for who He was and all that He had done for them, but He was also showing them that man was not capable of doing for them what only He could do. If they would have humbled themselves, sought God's face, and trusted God to give them a king if He so desired, at His set time, then David would have perhaps been their first king. God would have perhaps continued to be their king, their judge, and the one who went before them until He saw fit to raise David up. Or God would have perhaps instructed Samuel to appoint another judge until He was ready to raise David up. However, because they could not wait, God gave them Saul whom He allowed to reign over them until He saw fit to officially place David on the throne as king. God had torn the entire kingdom from under Saul but allowed him to stay in the position of king until His appointed time to officially seat David on the throne. No matter how bad we want something, it is always to our benefit to seek God with our desires and have enough patience to trust Him to give us what we want based on what He deems best. 

 

(2) Israel failed to recognize God for who He was. Samuel had taken it upon himself to appoint his sons as judges. As judges, Samuel's sons acted wickedly, mistreated the people, and angered the elders because of such. The elders did not seek God for direction to see if having a king would be the answer to dealing with corrupt judges. They instead went to Samuel and made known that they wanted a king. Now it may seem that Israel wanted a king so that they did not have to deal with issues such as the ones presented due to the corruptness of Samuel's sons, but Samuel's sons were only an excuse for them to request what they had already been lusting after. If their wanting a king was to avoid corruption such as that of Samuel's sons, then why would they agree to having a king who God had Samuel to warn them would be corrupt? In describing to them what the king that they would be given would do to them, this put them in no better a position than they were already in. If anything, a king like the one who was described to them was far worse than what they were dealing with concerning the actions of Samuel's sons. Despite them knowing how wicked the king would be they still wanted this king. This shows that their wanting a king had nothing to do with fairness in judgement or justice. They simply used Samuel's sons as a means of addressing their selfish desire to have what they always wanted. 

 

Israel failed to recognize who their HELPER was. If we think back to our discussion of clarity vs permission, we discussed how many of us don't want clarity, we just want what we want. We see a clear example of this in Israel's response to Samuel. Instead of seeking God for guidance and asking Him for clarity, the elders went straight to Samuel asking for a king. They did not come together as elders and cry out to God asking if having a king is what was best for them nor did they inquire whether or not they should take their desires to Samuel. The judge was the one who ruled over the people and made sure that they understood the commands of God and how they were to live their lives accordingly. Now while the judge was the one who went to God on their behalf, the issue is that Israel never wanted a judge because they did not want to be forced into obedience to God. Whenever God placed judges over them, God was with the judges and gave them victory over their enemies. However, as soon as the judges died, Israel would go right back to their rebelling against God and practicing idolatry. Though Samuel's sons acted wickedly, Israel did not just want a king to be free of corruption, they wanted a king so that they could be free from having to follow God and obey His commands. 

 

Upon the elders taking their request to Samuel, before responding to the elders' request, Samuel went to the Lord about what he had been confronted with (which was the way it should have been done). In Samuel taking this to God and God giving him the instruction to warn the people as a means of giving them clarity concerning what they were asking for, they did not want clarity. They disregarded everything that Samuel warned them of and without hesitance reiterated what they wanted. The Israelites were not concerned with what God thought about what they wanted, they just wanted God to give them what they asked for. 

 

Would Your Circle Seek Him for You?            

 

Before we wrap-up, we must journey back to the story of Lazarus. In our discussion of Lazarus, we mentioned that it was not Lazarus that sent the message to Jesus that he was ill. It was Lazarus' sisters that sent word to Jesus about his condition. Mary and Martha both knew and understood who their HELPER was. They are the ones who realized that Lazarus needed Jesus. Let's consider the following passages found in John 11:

 

Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha answered, 'I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?' 'Yes, Lord,' she replied, 'I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world (vs. 21-27, NIV).

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When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died...Where have you laid him?” he asked (vs. 32,34, NIV).

 

Take away the stone,' he said. 'But, Lord,' said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.' Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face (vs. 39-44, NIV).

 

Mary and Martha understood who to call on. They understood in whose hands all power lied. They were not placing their hope in the chief priests, the elders, the Pharisees, their friends and loved ones, nor anybody else. Their hope was in Jesus. Both Martha and Mary told Jesus that if he had been there, their brother would not have died. They had faith in who Jesus was and what he could do. They did not place their trust in the earthly authorities around them. However, they knew that Jesus was of the earth, but they believed in the divine power that rested in him. So, although Jesus was 'man' they were not placing their trust in him as such, but they were placing their trust in him as the Messiah, the Son of God. 

 

Jesus did something that is of extreme importance. He inquired things of Martha that put her in a position in which she would have to proclaim her faith concerning both who he was and what it is that she wanted him to do. Jesus asked Martha if she believed him to be the resurrection and the life, if she believed that anyone who believed in him would live, even though they die, and if she believed that whoever lived by believing in him would never die. She replied, "Yes, Lord...I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world" (John 11:27, NIV). 

 

When Jesus went to the place where Lazarus lay and told Martha to take away the stone, she was hesitant because of how long Lazarus had been laying in the tomb. She was concerned that there would be an odor being that Lazarus had already been dead for some days. Jesus responds by putting her right back in a position in which she would have to activate her faith. Upon her hesitance concerning rolling back the stone, Jesus states to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (v. 40).  After this, Jesus then talks to God. The first thing that Jesus does is look up and say, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me" (v.41, NIV). Jesus then goes on to say the following, "I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me" (vs. 42-43, NIV). Not only did Jesus force Martha to activate her faith, but if we look at the first thing that Jesus does as he is about to perform this miracle, he thanks God for having heard him (past tense). This shows us that Jesus did not wait until he got to the tomb to make his request known. He did not wait until he got to the tomb to seek God's face. He did not wait until he got to the tomb to talk to God about Lazarus. All of that had already been done because Jesus thanks God for having already heard him. Jesus was already aware that God was going to work a miracle through him when he received the message that Lazarus was sick. Jesus spoke to God aloud for the benefit of those around him who needed proof that he was who he said he was. Jesus thanking God for having already heard him was also him proclaiming his faith that God was already aware and ready to respond. Upon Jesus saying what he needed to say for those who were watching, he then commands Lazarus to come out and Lazarus does just that.

 

In thinking of the story of Lazarus, how many of us have people in our lives who know who to call on when we ourselves are in a life-altering situation? If you were experiencing a circumstance that appeared beyond repair, would the people who you roll with know to go to God on your behalf? Would the people who you roll with believe in and trust God enough to take your concerns to Him, when you yourself couldn't or didn't know how? Would the people that you roll with be willing to talk to Jesus about you? Would the people who you roll with love you enough and believe in God enough to confront Him on your behalf and request that He bring you out? 

 

We all have people in our lives who will tell us what number to call, who to ask for, and what department to seek assistance from. We all have people who can refer us to someone who might be able to assist us with what we need whether it be a hairstylist, a party planner, a doctor, a lawyer, a gardener, a chef, a pastor, or any other person whose help or service might be of value to us. But would the people that you roll with urge you and support you in taking your troubles to God? Better yet, would they be willing to activate their faith if it meant your being able to come forth out of that place that you lay that looked like it was going to be your series finale? 

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We might not be surrounded with a bunch of Martha and Mary's in our lives, as we all might have people in our circles who are as diverse as they come. We might have people in our circles whose beliefs are very far from our own. However, if you do nothing else, make sure that you have at least one Martha and Mary who would be willing to fall at Jesus' feet if it meant bringing you to victory. Make sure you have at least one Martha and Mary in your life who'd trust God enough to believe that their seeking the face of the Son, would cause the Father to move some things and shift some things on your behalf.

 

Another thing that Jesus teaches us concerning the story of Lazarus is not to wait until we stand face-to-face with what we are faced with to start trusting God and talking to Him about what we need and what we believe He'll do. When you get the news, the test, the phone call, the group text, the letter in the mail, or whatever it is that brings unwanted news to you, activate your faith RIGHT THEN AND THERE and start talking to God about it. Jesus did not wait until he was face-to-face with Lazarus, but he was declaring from the moment that he got the news, that God would be glorified. No matter what you are standing against today and regardless of what you might come into contact with on tomorrow, start declaring that in all of your situations, GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED! GOD WILL WIN! DECLARE THAT GOD WILL BRING YOU OUT!