My sweet daughter remembers everything. Out of the blue, she will say, “Remember 3 years ago when we had pancakes for breakfast and you said we could go to the mall? We never went to the mall. Can we go today?” I may be exaggerating, but not by much. I’ve even learned to be noncommittal in my responses to her because if I do something even just a tiny bit off from what I said, she will let me know it. “Mom, that’s NOT what you said!”
So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. (John 11:3-6)
Jesus was VERY clear here. “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death.” I don’t think it gets much plainer than that. It won’t end in death. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” (John 11:15)
I always wonder what in the world the disciples must have thought when He said Lazarus is dead. “Wait…what? But Jesus! You said he wouldn’t die. Now You’re telling us He’s dead? That’s not what You said!” What must have gone through their minds? “Did He miss it? He’s never ever missed it! He’s never been wrong! Now what?” What would you have thought?
But no, Jesus didn’t miss it. Jesus never said Lazarus wouldn’t die. What He said was that it wouldn’t END in death. Lazarus’ death was not the end of the story, and thank God it wasn’t! No, Jesus was right. It went through death, but it didn’t end there. It ended in life.
Maybe you are facing something that looks a lot different than He said it would. What then?
So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:41-44)
Jesus talked to the Father about it before He got there, and then He spoke into the situation.
So what do we do? We agree with what He said and speak life. And we don’t stop speaking until there is no more death. We speak words of life and healing and blessing and strength until what we see is life and healing and blessing and strength.
Don’t get discouraged if you go through something that looks like death. Death wasn’t big enough to keep God’s power from flowing and fulfilling Jesus’ words, and what you’re facing isn’t bigger than God’s power either! If He said something different about it than what you see, hold on to what He said. His Word is truth and will prevail if you hold on to it!
Don’t give up! Your situation is meant to end in life!
So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11 AMP)