“You are loosed from your infirmities”

Scripture For Meditation —John 11:28-40; Matthew 19:26

Roll Away The Stone

In continuation of the story of Lazarus that we meditated on in yesterday’s blog, we will be looking today, at another problem that some of us may have when we are dealing with issues in our lives.

As we read yesterday, by the time Jesus responded to Martha and Mary’s S.O.S about their sick brother Lazarus, He was already dead and buried four days.

“So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.” Joh 11:17

Now, this is a very important point to note, in order to truly appreciate the wonder of the miracle that was about to happen.

The Jews believed that when a person died, their soul did not finally leave the body until the fourth day; when also, the body due to the heat and climate of the region, would have gone through a complete state of decomposition. So by all accounts, Lazarus was not only dead, but also now by all accounts, completely gone physically and spiritually!

Faith Struggling With Reason

A lot of times when we are confronted with the “facts” of our situation and how impossible things appear to be in the natural, our faith struggles with reason — we know what we should believe, but on the other hand, we know what we are seeing in front of our eyes, and we know what we are hearing with our natural ears.

It was in recognition of these “facts” that Lazarus’s sister, Martha responded to the Lord’s command to “Take away the stone”:

“Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

That is how we also protest when the Master arrives on the scene to turn our situation around — Time has run out; it is impossible; a hopeless situation!

The deal however is, the situation demands that we roll away the stone that has been used to seal up the grave that has entombed our lost hope — the stone of disappointment and hopelessness that covers our weaknesses, our regrets, nakedness and shame. Dead a long time, and now smelly from lingering affliction that has taken its final toll.

“Ah No; Lord, please do not let people see the mess that I have become, it is too late for this embarrassment to yield any fruit” we say!

But the Lord is saying to you just like He said to Martha:

“Take away the stone!”

Do not continue to cover up that challenge, that struggle or the affliction that has held you bound. It may be smelly and ugly; it may be embarrassing or shameful. Dear friend, do not let the shame and seeming hopelessness of your situation bury your hope away from the Master that is calling you out into victory.

Jesus is saying to you today:

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this…?” Joh 11:25-26

Prayer Focus

What are the areas of your life or things in your life that you need to expose to the word of life?

Pray that God will open your eyes and your heart to see and acknowledge the areas of your life that have been kept behind the stone of defeat, resignation and finality — Those things or areas of your life that God wants to expose and deal with, but which you have long given up hope on and buried away from sight.

Pray that shame and unbelief will not keep your miracle bound in the grave of hopelessness.

Pray that God will give you the boldness to confront the stone that you have used to close up these things, and the faith to believe Him to bring healing and restoration to you in Jesus’s Name.

Pray that you will experience the resurrection power in the Name of Jesus work mightily on your behalf as He manifests His glory in your situation.

Amen.

Pastor Wale Ola