True Reality

Today's sermon was on the subject of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave. It's a well-known story and even people that have no knowledge of the Bible are familiar with it. When the pastor was preaching about it today, one thought really stuck in my mind...

God's reality is not our reality.

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, the family was still grieving and were questioning why Jesus had taken so long to arrive. After all, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. What could He do now? If he had only arrived sooner, He could have healed their brother. Their reality was death and stinking flesh. They knew there was nothing anyone could do to bring him back from the grave

But then Jesus told them that He delayed His arrival that they may know who He is. His reality was far different and the only real reality. After being taken to the grave, He commanded the stone to be rolled away. Martha, one of Lazarus' sisters, again questioned Jesus on His actions. He gently reminded her Who was in charge. After a short, thankful prayer, He called out in a loud voice for Lazarus to come out. What happened next was, I am certain, very shocking for all the witnesses. Lazarus, bound from head to feet in grave clothes, appeared at the door. He couldn't walk out because his feet were bound. I am sure it was a little frightening to them to see him suddenly appear in what I believe to be in a levitating state. But he was alive! Jesus Christ had reversed the decaying process. After four days of tissue breakdown, this man who was dead and rotting was now alive and well.

When we are going through life and storms suddenly blow out of nowhere to pelt us with high winds, stinging rain, and damaging hail, we only see and feel the storm and are frightened. When the sun shines brightly and everything is going "our" way, we are happy and content. When some tragedy strikes without notice, we become angry and bitter. That's our reality. But it's not the true reality. Only God in His infinite wisdom can see it now in its complete form. We focus on our circumstances whether they are good or bad but fail to see what is really happening or comprehend why it's happening and turn to despair or anger. When we allow God to work in and through the circumstance, we begin to trust in His reality and being to understand just a little more of who He is and what He wants for us.

Lazarus was brought back from being a rotten corpse to breathing air as a newborn. Do we expect less of God today? He's still the same. Let's being to see through the eyes of God.