“Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, 'See how He loved him!'" ~John 11:32-36
Last night I met a man who began almost every sentence with, “I don’t know if you want to hear this,” or “You probably don’t want to hear this,” and finally, “You don’t have to hear this…do you want to hear this?”
Last night I met a man who began almost every sentence with, “I don’t know if you want to hear this,” or “You probably don’t want to hear this,” and finally, “You don’t have to hear this…do you want to hear this?”
Little did this man know that the listening ear is a chosen weapon for us ‘scouts’. God’s Holy Spirit uses the listening ear to show us how we ought to pray. I don’t believe I am gifted with evangelistic speech but with God’s discernment, I can listen and take these findings (motivations, hurts, enquiries, confusions, and disappointments) back to the One who knows all. No, I am not a gifted speaker but the Lord is. I am learning to let Him do the talking at His will, at His command.
God’s voice: “On you go,” I replied, “of course I want to listen.”
The man: “I have not stopped weeping—that is, I have wept every day, all day for the last five years.”
God’s heart: I have wept over this man for longer than the last five years.
God’s voice: “As sure as you sit up every night weeping, Jesus weeps over you. He loves you, He died for you and He wants you with Him. Remember these words when you wake up weeping on this night."
Later the man turned to Robert and began to ask him questions. Robert (who leads the outreach) shared, with powerful conviction, from his heart all that the Holy Spirit had done to bring Him into a loving relationship with Jesus and all He still does to this day…even that God Himself led this man to have this very conversation with us. The man’s heart seemed to soften. By the end of the evening, he had taken away some gospel tracts and a copy of God’s own voice, the Bible.
The man: “Perhaps there is something to what you’ve said to me tonight…I will take this all on board and think about it this week. I will take this book away with me and read it from cover to cover and let you know what I find out when I see you next Friday.”
Upon comparing notes after his departure, we discovered that the Lord had given us all the same urgency over this man: He was not to leave without hearing God’s words, His truth.
Finally, my point: As sure as this man has wept unceasingly for the last five years, Jesus weeps daily over those who are a spiritual representation of the entombed Lazarus. Jesus could see ahead, He knew the outcome, He had the solid hope that Lazarus would arise. So why should He weep? Why? Because Jesus loved Lazarus…He loved Mary…He loved the whole family. By example, Jesus weeps with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
I don’t know why we feel more urgency at one time or another…but I pray to have a deeper, more consistent sense of it. I would like to weep with urgent, fiery compassion and LOVE as Jesus does. I want His heart. I pray for continued obedience…from making cups of tea, to a listening ear, to sharing God’s voice.
May His name be lifted up—whether in word, prayer or deed—that He might draw souls to Himself and yet awaken them to eternal life. His weeping is not in vain, rather, it is the fruit of His love.
Later the man turned to Robert and began to ask him questions. Robert (who leads the outreach) shared, with powerful conviction, from his heart all that the Holy Spirit had done to bring Him into a loving relationship with Jesus and all He still does to this day…even that God Himself led this man to have this very conversation with us. The man’s heart seemed to soften. By the end of the evening, he had taken away some gospel tracts and a copy of God’s own voice, the Bible.
The man: “Perhaps there is something to what you’ve said to me tonight…I will take this all on board and think about it this week. I will take this book away with me and read it from cover to cover and let you know what I find out when I see you next Friday.”
Upon comparing notes after his departure, we discovered that the Lord had given us all the same urgency over this man: He was not to leave without hearing God’s words, His truth.
Finally, my point: As sure as this man has wept unceasingly for the last five years, Jesus weeps daily over those who are a spiritual representation of the entombed Lazarus. Jesus could see ahead, He knew the outcome, He had the solid hope that Lazarus would arise. So why should He weep? Why? Because Jesus loved Lazarus…He loved Mary…He loved the whole family. By example, Jesus weeps with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
I don’t know why we feel more urgency at one time or another…but I pray to have a deeper, more consistent sense of it. I would like to weep with urgent, fiery compassion and LOVE as Jesus does. I want His heart. I pray for continued obedience…from making cups of tea, to a listening ear, to sharing God’s voice.
May His name be lifted up—whether in word, prayer or deed—that He might draw souls to Himself and yet awaken them to eternal life. His weeping is not in vain, rather, it is the fruit of His love.
5 comments:
each tear is precious and eternally kept in a special place by our Savior.... Oh the Love of God compels us.. I am so moved by your heart Gabbi, and Robert's also, that GOD so speaks and you obey.. I cant wait to read what next you write. You bless me so, thank you dear sister. I love you, I praise GOD.. Lord use her more and more for YOUR greater glory, and fill her heart with joy inexpressable, pure delight, let some drop on me, I am thirsty Lord for YOU, oh water of life...xoxoxo loveyou pilgrim
Gabbi, Gabbi, Gabbi...
I just preached on John 11:1-44 last Saturday in the Park. And then I heard someone mention it Sunday, then a couple times on Monday, and it was the scripture and topic shared by Pastor Mark Foreman yesterday at the memorial service fore Corey and Vorie's son Georgie...And then there was this morning at breakfast...
And the Lord's word continues to echoe in me..."Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord. I know you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into this world blah blah blah..."
"No. You aren't hearing Me. Do you believe this? That I am the resurrection and the life? Because if you do, you will keep My commandments."
"Oh, but Lord, if you had only been here earlier..."
"Show Me where you have given up..." And He begins to sob, to weep, to groan. "Where have you written someone/something off...Take Me there...Lead Me to the impossible and unthinkable situation in your life."
"Come and see, Lord."
"Now...take your hands, the ones you used to roll that stone in place, where you gave up on that person, that place, that plan, that impossible situation, and roll the stone away."
"Yes, but Lord..."
"You said you believed...I desire to glorify My Father in and through your life by you allowing Me to use you in simple obedience to do what I have asked you to do...Don't be afraid. I always do those things that please the Father. Just simply obey...roll the stone away."
Then we hear His command. He speaks the word of Life into a dead, rotten, stench-filled situation. The result? Life. He told us that "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." Why do we hesitate to get our "hands" dirty by obeying and rolling the stone away?
Our obedience is proof, fruit if you will, that we really do believe He is the Christ, the Son of God come into the world."
Then comes then next command.
"Loose him and let him go."
But that's not going to come until we have done the first thing He has asked us to do.
Josh,
After reading what you wrote, I re-read the passage in John again. The reasons for His weeping opened up all the more.
If I could give one word to describe God’s voice to me over the last couple of years, it would be ‘obedience.’ Even yesterday as I read Deuteronomy 11, He said to me, “Show me you love Me by walking in My ways.”
I really enjoyed this post. Godly sorrow is never in vain. Our redeemer keeps each tear in a bottle and will in eternity show how He was there, weeping and responding to each of them. He is so faithful. God has shown me so much about weeping, especially His weeping for us and through us. There is weeping on almost every page of the Psalms, I mark them with a tear drop for they are comforting to read when I am going through trials. But there is always, always, always, also praise. That's what I love about David. He allows God to turn His mourning into praising and even dancing in His soul.
I have quite a few Lazurus's in my life for whom I am privileged to weep. One is my son, 17, who has been severely depressed and suicidal for 2 years. Oh the sweetness of what God has taught me in weeping for him. I know that God is using it for good. He showed me that the stone is rolled away and the battle is finished. The victory is ours and we can rest in Him. We can sleep in Jesus's boat and bring His comfort others as well, if we just keep our eyes on Him. Thank you Jesus for weeping for me to see you in the storm.
Agape,
Elaine
Cool blog, interesting information... Keep it UP » »
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