Second Time Around
I’m convinced one of the greatest illustrations of why we go through trials is found in the life of Lazarus in John 11-12. If you don’t know the story, Lazarus had been dead 4 days before Jesus raised him back to life. The result of that miracle was that many were believing in Jesus, and rightfully so. In verses 9-11 of chapter 12, we hear that the Pharisees were trying to kill not only Jesus but also Lazarus, so that they could stop the growth of those believing in Jesus.
Put yourself in Lazarus’ shoes. I’d still be a little scared of the pain that they could bring me, but wouldn’t you think the fear of death would be at least a little less after you’d already been dead for 4 days?
Jesus always has the power to eliminate our trials, but sometimes He chooses not to so that we can learn to persevere. I’ve got a lot to learn from Lazarus in facing trials. Jesus has always been faithful, and He will always be.
