Today’s Bible Verse
Martha said to Jesus, “My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
John 11:21 TPT
Get Out of Verse 21
Did you ever say to yourself…
“My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my marriage wouldn’t have ended”?
“My Lord, if only you had come sooner, we wouldn’t be homeless”?
“My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my kids wouldn’t be on drugs”?
“My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my husband wouldn’t be in jail”?
“My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my cancer wouldn’t be terminal”?
“My Lord, if only you had come sooner, I wouldn’t have gotten laid off”?
When Lazarus was sick to the point of death, his sisters, Martha and Mary, sent a message to Jesus saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:3 NKJV).
Lazarus wasn’t only an acquaintance of Jesus; he was a very dear friend. At this point, Jesus was healing complete strangers. Surely, He would rush to the side of a close friend, someone the Bible says Jesus “loved.” I’m sure Martha and Mary had the very same thought, which is why they emphasized “he whom You love,” probably with the intention that Jesus would move more quickly. However, the Bible says that Jesus didn’t leave from where he was for another 2 days.
Within those 2 days and the time it took Jesus to get there, Lazarus had already died. Can you imagine what was going through the minds of Martha and Mary when their brother died? “Jesus, where were You? Why didn’t you show up when we called you?” “How could You let this happen?” “It’s too late; he’s already dead; what’s the point?”
When God doesn’t show up in our time frame, it’s not because He had something more important to do, or He heard your prayer and said, “Nah, she doesn’t deserve that miracle; she just snapped at her husband the other day.” God is not denying your request. God is simply saying, “I have a better plan.”
When Jesus arrived, Martha approached Him and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Wow, Jesus just got there, and she’s already coming in hot. Isn’t that like some of us sometimes? “What? Where You was Lord? Didn’t I tell You he was dying? Well, he’s dead now, so you’re too late.”
“You’re too late; my divorce is already final.”
“You’re too late; my son went back to jail.”
“You’re too late; I already got my eviction notice.”
“You’re too late!” “You’re too late!” “You’re too late!”
And we become obsessed over this “timing” thing, as if God is limited by time. But it didn’t just end there for Martha. She didn’t accept the circumstances as they were and say, “It’s over; my brother is dead; everyone just go home already.” No, she shook off her emotions and told herself, “Jesus, You’re here now.” And in verse 22, she said, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Can you imagine if she stopped in verse 21? if she quit right then and there? if she gave up? if she threw in the towel? if she raised the white flag? Because of her unbroken faith, she shifted her focus and went from complaint mode to conquest mode. Because of her declaration in verse 22, Jesus said in verse 24, “Your brother will rise again.” In verse 44, Lazarus walked out of the tomb! (Samantha DeCorte)
Change My Story
Verse 21: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Verse 22: “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Verse 23: Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Some of us have been stuck in verse 21 for too long. For some, it’s been years, maybe even decades. It’s time to shake that off–stop complaining; Jesus is here now, right now! So, what are you going to do? Choose your next words wisely. Martha chose to speak God’s Word, and because of that, her brother was raised from the dead.
Every miracle requires faith, an aggressive faith that allows God to move. You might say, “Well, I did have faith in the moment, but God didn’t show up.” Get over yourself. Faith is not a moment; it’s a lifestyle. Your plan is not better than God’s plan. Jesus is here now, and He’s right on time.
I challenge you to confess verse 22 for the entire day, all day, and beyond if you must. Write it down a hundred times if necessary. It’s time to wake up your faith because when the revelation of God’s word is conceived, a miracle is born.
Today’s Declaration
Lord, I refuse to stay stuck in verse 21. I will not allow blame to hold me back. I repent to You for limiting You according to my time and my circumstances. You’re here now, and I know you have a better plan. I will not depart from Your Word until the revelation of verse 22 is alive; verse 23 has manifested, and my miracle is walking out of the tomb.
CONFESS ALL DAY: “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Today’s Bible Reading
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
