Hi
Today’s Holy Nougat invites us to think about our response to God when we are in the Valley.
Chew gently
“When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:20-21 NLT
It is believed that Lazarus was not just their brother, he was their source of security in a world where women had ZERO rights. And if that were truly the case, then it makes one wonder about the wait without warning.
Note the reaction of both sisters. It is worth noting that Jesus does not condemn Mary for staying inside, or Martha for her comment. The earth did not open and swallow her nor lightning strike the house. Jesus may have cried in response to their grief; but He welcomed their honesty.
And that’s a critical lesson for each of us when we are going through. Even when it’s the ‘where are You ‘ question, God desires, actually craves our honesty. In psalm 51, the writer says God seeks the truth we hide from the world (c.f. v 6). And those responses were as true as they can be
– Lord, I am not speaking to You
– Lord, if only You came when I needed You most
Are we honest enough to be direct and frank with/before God? Or do we hide behind ‘Thou’ and ‘Thee’ ?
As one who has worked among the grieving; I tell you, sometimes honesty is hard. And, when faced with grief, Mary may well be my sister. For I cannot always fathom God’s ways in the infernal silence. Not at all.
In this case, it ended happily ever after; but our lives don’t always have fairy tale endings this side of eternity. And like Mary and Martha, we are living in the moment, this moment!
So, how do we resolve the tough moments? With integrity before a loving (albeit seemingly silent) God, Whose glory is yet to be revealed. Ask the hard questions. State-Name the fears, hurts, disappointment etc. and invite God to transform our hearts so that we may once again be on intimate talking terms or otherwise (you know what you really said in the inward parts).
But above all else, keep it real and allow God to respond.
Hope this helps.
Good morning
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
