LORD, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!

LORD, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!

I was 17 years old and had been a believer for 2 of those years.  I was on hiatus from the northern Presbyterian Church that I had attended since I was carried up the aisle to be baptized and was spending some time in a Full Gospel Church.  I remember the first time I heard the pastor mention a certain girl’s name and the very serious illness that she had – we, as a church, on that Sunday began to pray for the Lord to heal her…and we prayed with expectation!  Every week we heard reports on her continued decline and every week we would pray in earnest for her healing.  After all, wouldn’t God be glorified if this young girl, who medicine could not heal, got out of her sick bed and walked into church one Sunday morning perfectly well? 

She died and I faced my first great theological conflict.  Why hadn’t God healed this precious girl?  She was a believer, she was “innocent” as far as the standards of the world, it was a great chance to demonstrate His grace and power, and we were praying for it to happen.  We all wept that Sunday at the news of her death and the pastor, in all earnestness and humility said that perhaps he had not had enough faith or that there were some who doubted the possibility of her healing.  He did not mention God’s sovereignty.  He did not mention the possibility that God was glorified in this girl’s sickness and death.  He did not mention that her suffering could have been for our benefit and His glory. 

In John 11, Jesus did not rush to the sick bed of Lazarus to provide healing.  Mary and Martha were well aware that Jesus could heal their brother, even from afar, so they placed their faith in Him by simply stating that the one Jesus loved was sick.  Jesus purposely delayed His departure for two more days – Lazarus died.  Why? 

Lazarus died because those around Jesus did not need to see Him heal a sick man; he died so that their faith would be strengthened and God glorified by the raising of a dead man.  It was a greater demonstration of love to allow Lazarus to die than to heal him.  That can be a tough think to understand! 

I have seen much death, much suffering and some miraculous healing.  I have reached the point that I no longer ask the Lord “why He didn’t heal my friend.” I have been at Central long enough that every funeral I do is for one of my friends, so now I ask Him, “How is your glory manifest in their suffering and death?”  It may not always be readily visibly, but His glory is there; in fact, I may not even be able to see it in my lifetime.  Do I pray that the Lord will bring healing and manifest His glory in that fashion?  Yes, every time.  But I also realize that the greater demonstration of His love may be in a negative answer to my prayers.