Becoming a Christian, all things being equal, I think is a pretty easy decision. I choose to give Jesus my life, which I don’t really have anyway due to sin, and I receive eternal life then and abundant life now, what’s not to like?
Then the test comes…
Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test.
Matthew 4
This week at church we looked at Lazarus in John 11. Jesus loved this family, and both Mary and Martha didn’t understand why Jesus didn’t come earlier. The disciples figured it was because the Jews were already trying to kill Jesus and their house was only 2 miles from Jerusalem.
But when Jesus did get there, Martha had the stoic faith of not understanding, but trusting for the future. Mary had the emotional response of running to Jesus with her pain, but she, too, didn’t understand. The Lord’s response is interesting. To the one who is trying to theologically work through this faith crisis, He responds with theology. To the one who is crying, He weeps with her. Jesus is there, for each of them, in their own way.
So why did he allow this suffering? Why was he glad, yes “GLAD,” that He waited for Lazarus to suffer and die? For God’s glory, and for the faith of His disciples. See, when everything is good, all sunshine and roses, no real faith can grow. It takes the rain, it’s through the pain, that deep belief is developed.
Every situation, every time life takes a detour from “my plans,” it is an opportunity. It will either be an opportunity for the devil to win, as he tried to do with Jesus in Matthew 4, or it’s an opportunity for me to prove my faith. Do I really believe? Is the Bible really true? YES! Now live like it.
That’s the Christian life, and it’s still a great deal.
