Verse of the Day 4/9

Verse of the Day 4/9

John 11:4

New King James Version

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Today's verse came to me when I woke up in the middle of the night last night.  It comes from John 11 where we have the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, from the grave after 4 days.  Talk about hopelessness, 4 days in the grave, no way to get around that. Was Jesus wrong when He said this will not lead to death?  Absolutely not.  Jesus knew what He was about to do.  It was a key statement to understand the rest of the chapter, and Jesus statement in verse 26 "whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  

He asked Martha and He asks us "do you believe this?"  He is the resurrectioon and the life.  Whatever happens here on earth to believers will not lead, will not end in death, but in life everlasting.  We come to Jesus in prayer with loved ones who are sick, who are hurt, who are desparate for His help.  But we also believe that no matter what happens here that one day we, as believers in Christ will be raised up to life everlasting where there will be no more pain, crying or despair.

I know people who have battled cancer, who have had to battle life after a brain injury, who have had the diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor.  We lift those things to Jesus and His response to us is say "this sickness", this illness, this injury, will not lead to, end in death.  It leads to life everlasting.  If we believe that we have hope for today and tomorrow. 

The passage has several things to ponder and think about to ask ourselves, but if we confirm, confess that He is the resurrection and the life, whatever happens to us will not end in death, but lead to life.

 We need to come to Him.

Come just as you are
Hear the Spirit call
Come just as you are
Come and see
Come receive
Come and live forever

[chorus]
Life everlasting
Strength for today
Taste the Living Water
And never thirst again

Come just as you are
Don't you hear the Spirit call
Come just as you are
Come and see
Christ my King
Come and live forever more.  (Come Just as You Are - Crystal Lewis)

I've said for years that Romans 8:28 was my life verse.  Today, April 9 2024 I'm changing that to John 11:4.  Whatever happens in this life will not lead or end in death, but to life everlasting through faith in Him.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

John 11:1-4

New King James Version

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."