From What If to What Is, October 25
By Dan Held
When Mary met Jesus, she looked at him, and then fell down at his feet. “If only you had been here, Lord,” she said, “my brother would never have died” (John 11:32 PHI).
Have you ever questioned, “What if…?” Or have you ever thought, “If only.…” in response to some tragedy in life?
If so, you are in good company. People throughout the Bible have asked the same question. One of the more familiar examples occurred in relation to Jesus after the death of his friend, Lazarus. We read in John 11:21-45 about the time Jesus was asked by Martha and Mary, the sisters and caregivers of Lazarus, to come and heal their brother. Jesus didn’t. Lazarus died. And only then did Jesus come—after Lazarus was already in the tomb four days. Jesus heard it first from Martha, then later the same words from Mary: “If only you had been here, Lord, my brother would never have died” (John 11:21,32). No doubt this was the unspoken complaint of others gathered to mourn this same “preventable” tragedy.
Yet this passage conveys a much larger message for us all. Jesus’ delay looked like a mistake or an act of neglect, yet was actually a mighty work of God. Instead of healing Lazarus, Jesus was able to raise him from the dead—and raise the faith of all who saw, and all who heard about it.
God knows our faith can be a process. See it once and it’s a doubtful possibility. See it again and it’s a faithful promise. Can you imagine how the resurrection of Jesus may have been met more hesitantly with faith by Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and everyone else, if they hadn’t just witnessed Lazarus being raised from the dead? (Note to self: God’s ways are not our ways, and His purposes are always for our good.)
If only we got everything we wanted in this life, we’d fail to get everything we need. And so, God’s delays are never God’s denials. God has a way of answering our “what if” prayers with His own “what is” answer. And this is God’s opportunity to prove His own faithful promises in our lives more powerfully than “if only” God did as we first requested.
Pray: Father God, You grant us as Your children all that we need instead of all that we want. You patiently hear our “if only” and forgive us for our doubts. Raise us, we pray, from our sometimes-weak faith, that we may grow ever stronger in Your grace. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Your Turn: Find two slips of plain paper. On one write, “WHAT IF without God.” On the other write, “WHAT IS with God.” Now choose which one to tape to your bathroom mirror today.
Dan Held, Cancer Caregiver
Dan is a cancer caregiver who lives with his wife (Sue) of 55 years in Dayton, Ohio, where Sue has been free from breast cancer and colon cancer for two years! Dan is an ordained pastor and a licensed therapist with a heart for families touched by cancer at any stage. He is dedicated to promoting the message of more love and less fear in all aspects of his ministry and life. Check out his blog at www.danielkheld.com.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
To learn more about our ministry and the services we provide visit our website by clicking here.
