He was always coming.

 

Now a certain man named Lazarus was ill. He was of Bethany,

the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

This Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume

and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus

who was [now] sick.

So the sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, he whom you love

[so well] is sick.

John 11:1-3

 

Mary and Martha were in need of a miracle. Their brother

was sick and it didn’t look like he was getting better.

 

Like Mary and Martha I NEED a miracle! I need Jesus

to come through for me. If He doesn’t come through for me

what am I supposed to do? The enemy will win if He doesn’t

come through.

 

“Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still

stayed two days longer in the same place where He was.

So when Jesus arrived, He found that he [Lazarus] had already

been in the tomb four days.”

‭‭John‬ ‭11:6, 17‬ ‭AMP‬‬

 

I sort of understand what happened here. Jesus could have left

immediately but He didn’t.

Was He testing Mary and Martha’s faith?

 

But let’s look at what was happening with Martha and Mary.

They had called for the Master but He hadn’t arrived yet.

That time of waiting couldn’t have been easy. As time passed

their brother’s health deteriorated.  Where are you Jesus, was

the question on their minds. How long could they keep

waiting? Did they feel abandoned by Jesus, like He didn’t

care what they were going through?

 

Lazarus died…..

Still no show.

 

Day two……

No show.

 

Day three….

It’s hopless.

 

Day four….

It’s over.

 

As all this was happening, the bible tells us that:

 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.
‭‭John‬ ‭11:5‬ ‭AMP‬‬

 

Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters very much. It wasn’t

easy seeing the sisters broken at thier loss. He wept with

them!

He is not up in heaven playing cruel jokes on His

people. He doesn’t get a kick from seeing us in pain.

He has a plan for us!

 

When I read this story I think of the things I am trusting

God for. There were times in my life in my trusting that

I would lash out at God because I thought He had abandoned

and forgotten about me. But it’s not true!

There are still some things I am trusting Him for, things

that I prayed for, years ago. Has it been easy? Heck

no. But I know He can be trusted. He has a plan in the

waiting. He has a plan in the midst of the pain. He has a plan!

As I wrap up I would like to challenge you to wait on Him.

He knows where you at, truly!

 

photo credit: google images

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God’s plan for him took him to Egypt…..!

And the patriarchs [Jacob’s sons], boiling with envy

and hatred and anger, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt;

but God was with him,

And delivered him from all his distressing afflictions and

won him goodwill and favor and wisdom and understanding

in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor

over Egypt and all his house.  Acts 7:9, 10

 

Joseph’s brothers held nothing back. The word is very clear

how they felt about him. They were boiling with envy, hatred,

and anger toward him. They wanted to do him harm!

When they sold him as a slave they thought that was the

end of him!

I think the enemy does something similar. he brings things

in our lives to take us out, to do us harm. he doesn’t want

us fulfilling our destiny.

But he is seriously misinformed. Like Joseph, God is with

us in the desert, in the storm, in Egypt!

Consider this:

God had a plan for Joseph but he had to go to Egypt for it

to come to pass!

I believe we all have an “Egypt”

to go through but that is not the most important thing to

remember. The most important thing to remember is,

God is with you!

 

Because God was with Joseph in Egypt the word says,

 

He delivered him from ALL his distressing afflictions

(which in reality are many). God will deliver us as well.

 

He won him goodwill and favor and wisdom and

understanding in the sight of Pharaoh, King of Egypt!

Wow….!!!

 

Pharaoh made him governor over Egypt and all his house!

 

That is so crazy right! That all happened in Egypt!!

His brothers wanted to take him out but God stepped in

and turned things around. He delivered Joseph from

the evil plans of man.

God protected him. Anything could of happened to him

but it didn’t because God was with him!

Did Joseph understand at first? Off course not. He had

dreams in his heart, dreams he believed were from God!

But even though he was confused and even though he felt

abandoned, even though he was in fear, even though he

was rejected, even though he was misunderstood, even

though his faith in God waned, even though he was locked

up,

God was with him through it all..…!

 

Friends, please let that truth sink in deep. He is

with us. He knows exactly where you are, what you are

facing. He has not abandoned you, He has not cast you

into the darkness, He has not disowned you, He doesn’t

want to harm you….never! He is with you. He loves you

with an everlasting love! Don’t ever forget that.

be encouraged…….God bless you!

Have a great weekend!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

He didn’t want to go that way………!

And Judah said to his brothers, What do we gain if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites
[and Midianites, these mixed Arabians who are approaching], and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers consented.

Then as the Midianite [and Ishmaelite] merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the well. And they sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph [captive] into Egypt. (‭Genesis‬ ‭37‬:‭26-28‬ AMP)

We know the story of Joseph very well. He had a dream from God and was not shy to tell anyone! His brothers hated him for the dreams he had been given and his parents rebuked him but the fact remains, God had great plans for him!

God had great plans for Joseph but he was thrown into an empty well by his brothers! What kind of thoughts did he have sitting in that dark empty well???
I can imagine him crying out to his brothers for mercy, pleading to them, begging them to set him free!

If that was not enough his brothers sold him into slavery!! The word gives us a clue into what happened that day:

“They said to each other, “We are being punished for the bad thing we did to our younger brother Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in. He begged us to save him, but we refused to listen. Genesis 42:21

God had a plan for Joseph that is very clear but,
he was first thrown into an empty well then
sold into slavery!!

Did he lose hope?? I would think so……! Was he confused and felt abandoned by God, maybe?

But look at what the word says about Joseph in the darkest time of his life:

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant.
[Gen. 45:5; 50:20, 21.]

His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron,

Until his word [to his cruel brothers] came true, until the word of the Lord tried and tested him. (‭Psalm‬ ‭105‬:‭17-19‬ AMP)

God had a plan for Joseph but God knew Joseph had to go Egypt if he was to accomplish God’s call on his life! And the only way Joseph could get to Egypt was as a slave!!! Just imagine if God showed Joseph all that before it actually happened?? I think Joseph would have refused. If Joseph had any say in the creation of his purpose, he would of chosen the most comfortable path! He would of chosen the easiest path! So,

Are you confused at how your life is going right now?
Do you think God has abandoned you?
Does anything make any sense right now in your life?

Just know that God is in control of your life and He loves you! He is guiding you!
Let me share one more scripture with you:

And the patriarchs [Jacob’s sons], boiling with envy and hatred and anger,sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him, [Gen. 37:11, 28; 45:4.] 

And delivered him from all his distressing afflictions andwon him goodwill and favor and wisdom and understanding in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
[Gen. 39:2, 3, 21; 41:40-46; Ps. 105:21.] (‭Acts‬ ‭7‬:‭9-10‬ AMP)

In all the difficult things Joseph went through, God was with him!
God delivered him from ALL his distressing afflictions!

In your dark times, in your trying situations, in your times of testing,
God is with you and He will deliver you! You are not alone!

Joseph thought he was alone in the empty dark well but God was with him, crying with him!
He thought he was alone when his brothers sold him into slavery but God was with Him!!
When he felt rejected because his brothers sold him into slavery God was with him!

As Joseph headed for Egypt he may of thought his dreams were finished but little did he know they were just beginning! You may feel like it’s end of the line for you but it’s actually the beginning! The enemy is lying to you! Your story is just beginning! Trust the Lord because He is with you!

Rolain

No matter what happens, God is in control!

You have a calling….. You were brought to earth for a reason and that is the truth. What I have been thinking about are the journey’s of all the great men and women in the bible. I don’t believe the road God paved for them was easy. And this is the thing though, we read their stories and we know their ending but the actual people didn’t. For example, look at Joseph, Esther, and Rahab.

Joseph – We know his story but imagine what he went through. He was sold as a slave. What was going through his mind at that precise moment? Just before that his brothers threw him down a pit and were planning his death! Did he think his life would amount up to something? Did he feel like God had abandoned him? Did he lose hope? Did he ever feel like just giving up? I think he went through all these things but when we read his story we know the end. We know God would deliver him in a mighty way. We know he would become second to Pharaoh! We know he would save the world from a severe famine but did he? I don’t think he knew that when he was in the pit. But the fact is this, God was in control, even when things didn’t seem like that. He knew the end and that is what matters. Joseph may of felt abandoned because of the circumstances he found himself in but he wasn’t abandoned. God had not abandoned him! God was guiding him and making a way for him. God was preparing him for something big.

Esther – She was orphaned. She didn’t know who her parents were. She was abandoned and was being raised by her uncle, Mordecai. (Esther 2:7) And to top things off, she was a women. Not the greatest thing to be at that time in history. What did she struggle with? Did she even think she was called? Did she know God had an amazing plan for her? Did she struggle with identity and rejection? But as we read the story we know the end. We know she would be crowned the new queen and she would save an entire race! Did she know that in the beginning? I don’t think so but again, God was in control. She may off thought of herself as dirt but God had planned something so amazing for her. He loved her and God was with her. I wonder if she knew that in the beginning????

Rahab – She was a prostitute! I can only imagine what she went through before the spies visited her. She had to struggle with people mocking her. Did she struggle with abuse, physical and verbal? I most definitely think so. Did she struggle with self-esteem? People looked down on her? She was treated like trash. She wasn’t even a Christian!!! She was a prostitute for crying out loud. In her eyes and the eyes of everyone else around her, her life path was clear, there was no mistake of what she would amount to. She would amount to nothing!!! There was no hope for her. Did she believe that God had chosen her? Did she know something amazing was about to happen to her?? I don’t think so. But again, God was in control. He had a plan for her even if she couldn’t see it, even if everybody else around couldn’t see it. God had a plan and that made all the difference!

This is what I am trying to get to. God has a plan for your life. Even if like Rahab everyone says you are going nowhere, God has a plan for your life. Put your faith in God. His plan for your life is going to blow you away. Take comfort in the fact that, GOD has a plan for you. Your circumstances might be saying the complete opposite but God has a plan. Don’t give up. At times I don’t see. The circumstances around me get my focus off the bigger picture. But God has a plan even if it seems like He has abandoned me. Don’t believe the lies. God is in control. He created your beginning but He also created your end and it is wonderful!! It is grand and it is breathtaking!!! He knows how it’s going to end because He is the one who WROTE the end!!

Rolain.