"And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." (John 11:43-44).
Jesus had received the news that His friend, Lazarus, was very sick. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been dead four days. It would seem that if Jesus really cared about Lazarus, He would have gotten there in time to heal him. Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, questioned Jesus about how late He was at arriving. Jesus told them to roll the stone away from the tomb. They were reluctant to do so, because he was beginning to smell. They rolled the stone away, and Jesus told Him to come forth. Lazarus walked out of the tomb. He was alive! This man was dead four days, and at the word of Jesus, he walked out of the grave! He was still bound in the grave clothes and had to be loosed.
Do you feel you are in a grave of despair? Do you feel your situation is hopeless? Do you feel there is no way out? Does it seem you are dead and dry? Has it been awhile since you have truly felt alive? Troubles, trials, problems, stress, worries, fear, sin, and despair make us feel buried. If we stay in that situation, we wonder if we will ever be free again.
Jesus is calling you forth today. He is calling you to life, joy, peace, healing, hope, faith, victory, and deliverance. You must make come forth from your situation and make the step toward Him. Don't stay in the grave clothes, but lay them aside and come forth. You don't have to stay in that condition. You don't have to stay in the tomb; dead with no hope. You don't have to stay bound in those grave clothes. Jesus made a way out for you. He came to set you free and give you life more abundantly.
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36).
Will you stay in your dead situation, because it seems that is the only choice you have, or will you do as Lazarus did, and Come Forth? Jesus is calling.
"In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." (2 Kings 20:1-6).
Hezekiah was given some very sad, depressing news. This news didn't just come from a doctor. It came from a prophet of God. This was a serious situation for Hezekiah. He would die soon. He did not know when, but he knew it would be soon. His life would soon be over. Most people aren't given this chance to know when their life will end.
What if you were told today that this would be your last day on this earth? What if you were told that before sunrise tomorrow, you would be in eternity? What would you do? How would you respond? How would you spend your last day on earth? Hezekiah spent his time praying.
"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:39-43).
This Scripture talks about three men. Two were criminals; thieves. One was the Son of God. All these men were spending their last day on earth together. One thief mocked Jesus and accused Him. This was his last chance for hope and he pushed Jesus away. He did not reach out for help in this desperate moment of his life. The other thief used his last breaths receiving Christ's forgiveness and love for him. Jesus used His last day showing forgiveness and kindness for this thief, the soldiers and all who would call upon His name.
"When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:54-60).
Stephen knew this would be his last day. He was being stoned to death for standing for the truth and not backing down. He spent his last moments focusing His eyes on Jesus and forgiving those who were taking his life. He was not blaming, cursing, or wallowing in self-pity. He spent his last day as a witness to those around him.
"And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. " (Acts 16:23-25).
Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching the Gospel and knew the possibility of death any minute. They were in a desperate situation. They weren't crying, moaning or complaining. They didn't blame God for allowing them to be in prison for preaching in Jesus' name. They didn't allow their circumstances to shift their focus. They used what could have been their last day to sing praises to the Lord. What a testimony!
What if you knew this would be your last day on earth? How would you spend it? What would you do? What if you knew Jesus would return today? Would that change the way you spend this day?
We do not know when Jesus will return. We do not know when our last day will be. Live every day focused on Jesus and witnessing to others; showing kindness and forgiveness to all, whether we think they deserve it or not. We never know when that time will come. We must be ready at all times.
But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. (Psalm 73:28).
When you sit in a chair, do you check under it to make sure all four legs are there and will support your weight, or do you fear that the chair will fall with you and cause you hurt? When you put the key in your car ignition, do you trust the car will start or do you doubt that it will start and get you to your destination? When you set the alarm clock before you go to bed at night, do you trust it will wake you up at the programmed time, or do you doubt it's ability to function properly; causing you to over-sleep?
Of course, you trust each of these things to do what they are designed to do. If you did not trust the chair, you would not sit in it. If you did not trust the car, you would take it to a mechanic to be fixed. If you did not trust the alarm clock, you would get a new one.
The reason you have a trust in these things is because they have proven trustworthy time after time. They are dependable and reliable; and when they are no longer trustworthy, they are replaced with items that can be trusted.
Can you trust yourself to guide you through this life and into eternity with Christ? Can you trust this world's counsel to bring you to victory? Can you trust the influences of those around you? The answer to all of these questions is, "No". These will deceive, distract and disappoint. They cannot be trusted. Trust is something few people have in this world now. It seems people trust no one. They have been lied to, betrayed, hurt, and disappointed, so the trust is gone.
Only the Lord can be trusted. He is trustworthy. He will never fail. He will never disappoint. He will always come through for you. He will always be there with you. He can be trusted. He should be trusted. Whatever your need is today, trust Him. Whatever you are waiting for, trust Him. He is dependable, reliable and faithful. He will never let you down. Even when you don't understand the way things are working in your life, trust Him. Even when it doesn't make sense, trust Him. Even when it isn't easy, trust Him. Even when it seems to be taking too long, trust Him. Even when it doesn't seem fair, trust Him. Even when your way seems easier, trust Him. No matter what, trust Him.
Will you trust Him today?
