I hate to wait. I try to organize my life is such a way that waiting takes up a minimal amount of precious time. Doctor’s offices, traffic, lines, lunch appointments, purchases — I don’t like to wait. My only defense is that I am a product of my culture. We live in an “on demand” culture. There is, however, a valuable lesson in waiting. What do you do when God decides to make you wait?
Jesus and Waiting
So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days …” (John 11:6).
Jesus was living in the wilderness with his disciples because the cities and villages of Palestine had become too dangerous for him. His enemies were growing in number and confidence. His popularity with the masses had always kept his enemies in check. However, his message was becoming increasingly difficult and many were leaving his movement. The Pharisees and their cohorts knew that eventually, the people would turn on Jesus and then they could get rid of him.
While living in the wilderness regions of Judea Jesus received word that one of his best friends was deathly ill. Come at once, was the message. Lazarus is dying and he needs you. Lazarus had been there for Jesus. His sisters, Martha and Mary, begged Jesus to return the favor.
The disciples were ready to go. Thomas said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16).
Jesus said, “We’ll go … but, not yet.” And he waited for two more days. Inexplicably, he waited.
Making a dying man wait is a dangerous proposition.
When Jesus got to Lazarus’ home in Bethany, he discovered that Lazarus had died. Martha was frustrated — “… if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).
Waiting is a hard and brutal and sometimes emotionally devastating process. So, why does God do it to us? Why does Jesus make Lazarus wait?
Four Lessons of Waiting
The Bible assures us that Jesus loves us with a perfect, unconditional, and eternal love (Rom. 8:38-39). His plans for us are perfect and they are to lift us up, never to harm us (Jer. 29:11). So, why does he make us wait?
1. Waiting stretches our faith
But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:22).
Martha had great faith in Jesus. She lamented that Jesus was too late to heal her brother — that if he had been there just a few days earlier, things would have turned out differently. But, who knows — maybe it wasn’t too late.
Her faith in Jesus was strong. And if Jesus had been there in time to heal Lazarus, her faith would have been strengthened a little more. But God has something bigger in mind.
Martha’s faith is about to go to warp speed. That would never have happened had Jesus not waited for Lazarus to die.
Sometimes, God makes us wait so that he can take our faith to a place we never dreamed possible.
2. Waiting reveals the true essence of God.
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27).
Jesus made Lazarus wait because he had an important point to make. He needed his most devoted followers to understand who he truly was and what he came to earth to do.
He says to Martha — “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?” (John 11:25-26). Rarely was Jesus so transparent about his true nature.
Martha had to wait. She had to feel the pain of loss. She had to know deep grief before she was ready to experience the truth of resurrection. The power was there all along — the waiting shaped her to accept it.
Jesus is always revealing himself to us. Sometimes we have to wait for it. We have to be willing to sit in the frustration of our limited understanding so that God can then open our eyes to the deeper truth.
3. Waiting sacrifices the good for the best.
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43).
There is some indication that Jesus had already healed Lazarus from leprosy (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3). That might even be the reason Lazarus became a believer. Martha knew Jesus could do it again — had he only been there in time.
Martha’s faith is about to grow exponentially. She is about to experience something about Jesus she could experience in no other way. She will never doubt again. And she would never have experienced that if Jesus hadn’t waited for Lazarus to die.
Sometimes, the waiting is meant to kill your chances at the good thing so that God can give you the best thing.
4. Waiting brings glory to God.
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him” (John 11:45).
In the end, this was Jesus’ primary goal — always bring glory to the Father (John 1:14; 15:8; 17:24).
Lazarus’ death and Martha and Mary’s grief were all a part of the great drama of life and all of it was an act of worship to the only one worthy of glory — God, the Father.
In order to display God’s glory, Jesus healed a man who was born blind (John 9:3).
The ancient Christian creed says that we exist to bring glory to God.
Sometimes God calls you to wait in order that his glory might ultimately be made manifest in your waiting.
When you feel like you are suffering because God isn’t answering your prayers …
When you feel frustrated because God is making you wait …
Give glory to God!
Sing His praises!
You may never have an answer, but can still give God glory!
It’s the reason you exist — not to get everything you want — but to give God everything he wants.
And he wants your worship. He wants you to give him all glory.
When you do that — the waiting is never wasted.
