³⁸ Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” John 11:38-42

There are days we can look around us and all we see is discouragement, defeat, and death. There are physical illnesses, financial troubles, people spiraling into depression and feeling like their life is meaningless. We cry out to God, yet prayers continued to go unanswered or they are answered in ways we don’t understand.

I love the verse here where Jesus lifts His eyes up to Heaven and thanks His Father for hearing Him. ” I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe You sent me.” Jesus had interceded for Lazarus. It reminds me of the importance of interceding for one another. I believe this is encouragement for us. We need to not give up interceding, and praying. God hears ours prayers and knows our hearts.

Sometimes we pray for things so long , we begin to think God is not hearing us and that He doesn’t care. That is a lie from the enemy. God loved Lazarus. God loved Mary and Martha. He doesn’t like seeing us hurt or struggling but He knew this would lead somewhere greater. It was necessary for the miracle to happen. It was necessary for God to be glorified, ad it was necessary for Jesus to be known for who He was.

There is a miracle coming.

⁴³ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” ⁴⁴ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:43-44

Mary and Martha, along with all the others at the funeral did not expect Lazarus to brought back to life this way. They believed He would have eternal life, but they did not expect the miracle they received.

The miracle that is coming may not look anything like what we think it will. It may bring some pain and suffering for us, and for the body of Christ. Make no mistake God will be bringing life to dead places. He will be restoring what has been stolen, and He will be making ALL things new.

There are dead places within us that need to brought back to life. There are dead places in the church that need some resurrecting, and there are dead hearts in this world that need to know the life that Jesus gives.

How are we interceding for other believers, the church, our Nation, and this world?

Are we more concerned with God be gloried and Jesus being made known than we are our own discomfort and loss?

I am discouraged, disheartened, and a little fearful of where we are as a Nation and as body of Christ in this Nation. Yet, I am seeing dead relationships in my life being brought back to life. I am seeing healing and growth in myself and those close to me. I am seeing life in this midst of death all around me. It is an amazing thing! The excitement and joy coming from that is overriding the other feelings.

I want to encourage you today. It feels like death and darkness are prevailing but there is so much resurrection going on. Take time to see it. There are seasons where it is very difficult to see through all that is going on in and around us. Ask God to open your eyes to see those places where He is resurrecting from death to life. He will show you.

Let’s encourage one another by sharing our resurrection stories and the miracles we are seeing, both big and small. Let’s encourage each other with the truth that God is doing miracles and bringing life to dead places. Keep praying and interceding for one another, those we love, and those we don’t know.

A Miracle IS coming. I don’t know what it looks like, but I know the God who does them, and He wants to do a miracle in and through you, so that others may know He is who He says He is.

I pray God encourages your heart today and you know He loves you, He hears you, and He is with you!