Short Thought continued.....

Who’s doing the Shouting?

 

For 30 years I‘ve prayed for my husband to come to know Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. 

Through these long years I’ve wept, I’ve been angry and

 I’ve wrestled with disappointment, disillusionment and frustration.

Recently I’ve been more deeply troubled and experienced a loss of hope.

 

I wrestle because I love my husband and am concerned for his soul and his future.

But I also wrestle because at times I’ve been the one ‘doing the shouting’.

My shouting may have been directed towards my husband or Jesus.

 

Out of desperation I shout, but no amount of my shouting will bring my husband out of his tomb.

I cannot command that he comes to life.

 

Only Jesus can shout for a dead man to come out of his tomb.

Only Jesus can raise a person from being spiritually dead to having life -

life in all the fullness of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

 

As Jesus arrived at the tomb where his friend Lazarus was, he was greeted by Lazarus’ sister Mary.

‘When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her,

a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled...

…Then Jesus wept…

…Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 

“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them…

…Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out,’

(John 11:33, 35, 38-39, 43 NLT)

 

There is comfort in knowing that Jesus weeps, shows anger and

is deeply troubled over his friend who is dead.

 

As we weep, are angry or are deeply troubled over our loved ones who are spiritually dead,

Jesus weeps with us.

We don’t wait outside the tomb alone: Jesus waits with us.

He wants for our loved ones to come out as much as we do.

He will not give up on them; He will continue to shout out to them until they respond.

 

We don’t need to be the ones doing the shouting;

we need to be the ones who believe that Jesus is calling them.

 

And when our loved ones eventually hear and come out it will be for God’s glory.

’Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”’ (v 40)

 

Who are you weeping and deeply troubled over?

Who are you shouting at?

What prevents you from believing that Jesus is and will continue

to shout to them until they come out of their tomb?

​