For God's Glory

"When He heard this [meaning Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick], Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." This verse is from John 11:4, when our Pastor shared it in his message on Sunday I heard it as if for the very first time.  I have grown up in the church and I have read and have heard the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead many many times. This particular verse I just didn't remember, it didn't stand out to me before yesterday.  God had not revealed it to me in such a personal way until yesterday.  

It was just me, Chad and Sophie Kate sitting together in church on Sunday.  The boys were either sitting with their friends and/or in children's worship so it was just the three of us.  There will come a day where it will be just the three of us left at home as well, but on this particular day Sophie Kate's daddy had picked her up out of her wheelchair and was holding her in his lap.  I looked over at her as the words of this verse settled on me.  "This sickness will not end in death...it is for God's glory."  

This earthly life will end in her death, most certainly, it will end in death for all of us, but there will be no spiritual death for those who follow Christ, those who live for Him, those who have accepted Him into their life as Lord and Savior.  I am a slow learner but I am learning that Sophie Kate was not placed in my life to fulfill some kind of dream I may have had about having a little girl.  God has a purpose for her just as he does for all of our children and it really doesn't matter what I think I might or might not want or desire for them.  That's a tough thing, I know, because they will have to go through difficulty themselves in order for their faith to grow and that's a very scary thing.  I can't imagine what it does to the hearts of mine and Chad's parents as they watch their children go through the pain that Chad and I have endured and continue to endure.  It's a tough thing to pray for the will of God for your children, but it's a far scarier thing to be living outside the will of God.

He gives us hope when there is no hope...John 11: 25-26, "Jesus said to her [Martha], 'I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die..." That is where my hope lies, it is all for God's glory, we are all here to live a life that glorifies God.  It may not look like what we had planned in our mind's eye, but it's lovely and beautiful to our Savior when we are fully surrendered to His will for our lives.