Just in case you didn't sign up to receive the free devotional series, I wanted to share with you Day One from the "Rise:Raising the Lazarus in Our Lives" series. I hope is blesses you, friend! The Passage: John 11:1-3 " A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. this is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." NLT The Devotion -Lazarus was sick- We all have a "Lazarus" in our life. A spiritual ailment. A wound of temptation. An infected marriage or relationship. An amputation of joy, stillness, or contentment. Perhaps it is the promised land that seems sick or dead because we have wandered back to the wilderness or maybe it is self-forgiveness and self-worth that are buried because we are still living in shame. Sickness, ailments, wounds, missing parts - they all need healing. They all need to rise up from the grave they are living in. I speak of these things, to challenge us, my friend. Challenge us to look deep into our hearts and souls and see what it is that ,like Mary and Martha, we need to call out to Jesus to address. -Lazarus was sick.
And he was a friend of Jesus- These three - Lazarus, Martha and Mary - were Jesus' friends. He had been welcomed into Martha's home and Mary had sat at His feet listening to Him. She had washed His feet with expensive oils and wiped them with her hair. We do not know the extent of these friendships but we see there is a personal relationship and that Jesus must have cared for Lazarus. He cares about us, too. Knowing Jesus and being close to Him, does not mean we will never suffer, never have hardships, never hurt, never have things in our life that have a kind of death that needs reviving. Jesus wants to be called to the bedside of our "Lazarus". Mary and Martha, when they were troubled, when they were in despair, when they saw someone (or in our case something) in their life that was dying, they called out to Jesus. They knew what He could do. They believed in His gentle mercy, and so they called out to Him by sending a message. Not a dictate or command, but rather a humble request; making their need KNOWN and yet leaving space in that request for the Lord's will. Leaving space in the request that the Lord knows all, sees all. Leaving space for the will of God to work for His Glory. So right now, the "Lazarus" in each of our lives needs our recognition. We need to acknowledge it is there and then offer a message to Jesus today. Ask Him to come to our bedsides. Tell him our hearts are heavy; that we are feeling sick. And then expect that He will come! In His own time and His own will. Come to the place where what is dead lives. That room, or hiding place where our "Lazarus" lies. Don't hesitate, but rather scribble the message across your heart, close your eyes in prayer.....and ask. Ask Him to come and see your Lazarus..... Blessings, Elizabeth
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Meet ElizabethWife. Mother. Writer. Photographer. Child of God. Encouraging others in faith through a lens of grace and seeing beauty in the ashes. All images and content belong to me (Blue Jean Gypsy), unless otherwise noted. You may use an image ONLY if it is linked back to this blog! Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
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April 2020
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