March 26
Scripture of the day: "Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept." John 11:32-35
Thought of the day: Mary and Martha sent for Jesus, John 11:3. They knew that Jesus loved their brother ... and they believed that He could heal him. They had faith. However, Jesus purposefully delayed going to him. Jesus let Lazarus die to expose the limits of Mary and Martha's faith. Jesus hadn't met their limited expectations ... and they wept. Jesus saw their tears and those of the other weeping mourners. He groaned in His spirit. What He saw troubled Him ... and He wept.
Challenge of the day: Why did Jesus weep? He didn't weep over Lazarus. Jesus knew that He would raise him from the dead, John 11:11-15. Jesus must have wept over their lack of faith. Do delays cause you to doubt? No! Delays don't cause doubt ... lack of faith causes doubt. Jesus doesn't always follow our agendas and time schedules. Does your faith grow weak when He doesn't meet your limited expectations? Don't cause Jesus to weep. Have faith in Him ... He knows what to do and when to do it.
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