In His Time Only...

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 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.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. “But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” John 11:1-16


I want to look especially at this passage:

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. “But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

These words of Christ reveal to us once again the Sovereignty of God in all things. I believe we can take from this the knowledge and assurance that the timing of events --including our death-- are completely in the hands of the only Sovereign God. Jesus knew that although the hearts of those who hated Him would kill Him at any time that they saw an opportunity, they could not do so until the appointed time and way which God the Father had ordained. So it is with our lives. All events are planned and mapped out by our loving Father so as to work all things to His final good for His own Creation.

The disciples were wary at the prospect of Christ returning into the lion's den of the mad and falsely religious leaders of their day. They knew that the manifest intent of these jealous leaders was bent on killing Christ. And the disciples seemed to believe that they too were at risk of being killed. But just as Christ was aware that those with evil intent could not harm Him apart from God's plan, so Christ knew they could not harm His disciples whom He said should go with Him to Judea --the lion's den. God is in control and we must draw close to Him to be sure we can hear His still small voice in the Light of His countenance as He directs us in the way we should go, even if the way seems a bit risky from a natural point of view. He will direct us with His Eyes and lead us with His voice. And we must be careful not to wander into the darkness of missing His will, for stumbling in the night could happen to us before we know it.

Psalms 86:11
Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

Psalms 56:13
For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?

Psalms 89:15
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.

1John 5:5-10
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

And the one we've heard too much but believed so little:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.