John 11:38-40
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 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.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

Mary and Martha had called for Jesus to come while Lazarus was ill and Jesus chose to wait a couple days so they would fully see the glory of God. It is clear that was not an easy decision for Jesus because He was deeply moved by their grief, but He knew that it would help their faith and belief in God to deepen.

Some of your greatest service for God will come out of your pain and struggles. That can be difficult to think about at times but on the other side of that if you really look at the times we naturally draw closer to God and seek Him and His direction it is often in our darkest hours. How can you help others who are going through something if you have never experienced their pain? If we allow God to use the things we have had to face in our lifetime for His good, it makes us stronger. Life is a struggle more often than not, and when we go through our struggles in life, we have a choice to either let God use it in our own life as well as the lives of others, or to make us bitter and feel sorry for ourselves.

Take a look at David, he went through some crazy things as Saul chased him around the country trying to kill him for no reason and yet he allowed that time to strengthen His faith in God. David didn’t just sit in a cave somewhere feeling sorry for himself, he strengthened himself in the Lord and with all the resources he had available to him. Take this time to do what you can and then allow God to work in and through you to strengthen you.

I hate going through tough times and times of great sorrow and yet I can also look back over my life and see how God has used those times to “grow me up” in Him. He hates to see us face these things too, John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” He was moved by their grief and yet He was also moved by the fact that they didn’t fully realize His power for the situation. Trust that whatever you are facing or have faced that God can and will give you strength, peace and joy again and He will use this to not only make you better but to help you to better serve Him down the road. Don’t allow these times to get you down, strengthen yourself in the Lord and with the resources you have! The best is yet to come if you will just give it all to Him! Allow Him to show His glory in and through you!

Quote:
“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there!” Will Rogers