O
THE
vercoming
Jesus At The Scene Of Death
SERIES
‘OUR FRIEND LAZARUS HAS FALLEN ASLEEP; BUT I AM GOING ...
TO WAKE HIM UP’ JOHN 11:11.
What do you say to those who are heartbroken, angry and questioning because of
death? Tell them about Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Tell them:
1) Jesus allows us to question! Martha asked, in effect, ‘Where were you when we
needed you, Lord?’ Was Jesus upset with her? No. In moments like these we learn
Lord, I thank You
things about ourselves we never knew before. In times of heartache we discover,
‘... His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness’
it’s not wrong to
(Lamentations 3:22-23).
be upset or to
2) Jesus shows us how to grieve! ‘Jesus wept,’ not because He was powerless, but
show emotion, You
because He was our example. If you bury your emotions, you bury them alive and
created that within
they’ll rise again to hurt you. The process of becoming whole involves: a) feeling
me. I thank You
deeply b) dealing honestly c) making way for healing. Are you running from pain?
Lord that even in Are you trading it in prematurely for some other feeling? That’s not God’s way. He
grief You are there
says, ‘... you will weep and mourn ... but [eventually] your grief will turn to joy’
with me,
(John 16:20 NIV).
walking through
3) Jesus gives us hope! Listen:’... Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going ... to
it with me.. Thank
wake him up.’ Know how you feel after a great night’s sleep? Well, multiply that
You, Lord, that I can
feeling by infi nity and you still haven’t come close. Goodnight here means good
morning there. Jesus said, ‘...nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the
express to You how
angels... ‘(Luke 20:36 NKJ). Wow! The ‘Uppertaker’ puts every undertaker out of
I feel in prayer, and
business! Don’t you love it?
You never judge me
for that. Amen
Struggling with Christmas?
‘HE IS... ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF’
ISAIAH 53:3
Christmas can be a diffi cult time, especially when you’ve lost a loved one. The sounds
and sights that once brought you such joy now remind you of them and reinforce your
grief sense of loss. There is no magic formula; grief is a process you must walk through,
is a
and it takes time.
Here are some personal thoughts that might help: Try to keep things in perspective:
process Christmas is only one day out of 365. You can do anything for 24 hours because God
you must
promised that ‘... your strength will equal your days’ (Deuteronomy 33:25 NIV). Check
and see if there’s a needy family or a lonely neighbour who’d enjoy spending an hour
walk
with you. Reaching out is diffi cult; but it brings healing. Don’t accept the myth that
through,
everybody else is having ‘a perfect Christmas’ while you struggle. The truth is, even
for Christians, Jesus’ birth gets eclipsed by unrealistic demands and the pressures of
and it
shopping, entertaining and gift-giving. Why do you think we’re so relieved when it’s all
takes
over?
Don’t maintain old traditions if they make you feel worse. Create new ones that work
time.
for you now; you might even want to keep them. If you’re struggling with Christmas
this year, here’s a prayer for you: ‘Lord, You know how I feel today because Your Word
says You are familiar with grief. Heal my heart and fi ll its emptiness. Become more
real to me than the activity without and the loneliness within. Help me to discover You
and, in so doing, make this a Christmas like none I’ve ever known. Amen.’
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