When No Becomes Know
“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. After the two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” John 11:5-7, THE MESSAGE
Have you ever wondered why Jesus stayed two more days in the place where He was at, before he left to go see His good friend Lazarus, who was sick and dying? When He heard the news of his sickness, Yeshua was most likely near the Jordan River, the area of Jericho, which was a good 2 days walk back up to Jerusalem. (See John 10:40.) Did you realize it was actually four days after Lazarus was dead and buried that Yeshua finally got to his town of burial, near Jerusalem?
(My good friend David Peterman and I got to go into the cave where he was buried, on our Love For His People Ministry Ahava Adventures trip in April 2022. Watch my Walk With Me video, Tomb of Lazarus in biblical Bethany.)
I have been down that road to and from Jericho several times by car and bus. It is a steep road, traveling down to the lowest part of the earth, the Dead Sea area. Thus, it would have been a major hike up the road, on foot, to Yerushalayim for Jesus and His disciples. Thus the four days later time period.
“On arrival, Yeshua (Jesus) found that El‘azar (Lazarus) had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Beit-Anyah (Bethany) was about two miles from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), and many of the Judeans had come to Marta (Martha) and Miryam (Mary) in order to comfort them at the loss of their brother. So when Marta heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet him; but Miryam continued sitting shiv‘ah (7 days of mourning) in the house.” John 11:17-20, Complete Jewish Bible
Have you ever wondered why sometimes Jesus’ response to you is a “No” when you really want something, and think you need it now? And I can imagine you too have experienced the disappointment then also and wondered as I do at times, “Why, Lord?”
I believe it was in 2018 when I made another trip to Israel, to be with those the Lord had made connections for me with there, for His purposes and plans. I was alone, and on this ahava journey, I got to thinking that it was going to be my last trip to the Land. I was getting weary of going, not seeing the long-term, panoramic view, or what may be ahead if I kept going.
Cathy Hargett, Highway To Zion Founder here in Charlotte, North Carolina, was also in the city of Jerusalem at the time, and she had asked me to join her and the other 10-12 with her at the Mount Zion Hotel, overlooking the valley opposite the gravesite of Oskar Schindler by the Old City. (I inserted that because I loved the movie, Schindler’s List, which is back in the theater’s Dec. 7, 2022, for its 25th anniversary.)
When I joined the group, a bit discouraged believing this was my last time going to Israel, I recall telling Cathy that very thought. Most likely she may have thought otherwise. But it was what it was. Or so I thought.
Possibly the next day, as my memory banks of 68 years now take more time to recollect and find the exact file cabinet folder when the correct date was, I was walking the stone streets of Israel’s capital city alone when I clearly heard the Holy Spirit speak to me. “This is not your last trip here. In fact, you will be coming back two times each year.”
My response, in total shock, “What? Two times? This is my last time!”
Has it not happened to you before, when you think something is done and over, buried and gone, when the Lord resurrects it, in His time? Lazarus was dead. It was over for him. Or so the disciples and his sisters so thought. But Yeshua knew. Jesus always knows.
There may be something in your life today where you have thought, solidly believed in fact, that it is over, done with, and there is no possibility, no hope of resurrection or even being on life support for a few more days, for it to happen. And then. And then God. It is always about God and His perfect plans and purposes.
As for me, I have returned to Israel at least two times each year after that, except during the planned-demic when no travel in the world was allowed. And each time I have realized more and more that the Lord’s timing is perfect, and His faithfulness will bring those promises and prophetic spoken words to pass, which we have received in the past, and thought were no longer valid nor having any possibility of happening. But God knows. Yes, He knows, and will turn the seemingly “No” into the “Yes” when it is your time, when it is His time for you to see it happen.
Be in faith that He knows when the “No” will become the time when you too know.
Be encouraged my friend. He is not finished with us yet.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin, Love For His People Founder
P.S. We would like to thank those who have supported Love For His People ministry in the past 12 years and continue to do so. We prayerfully ask you to consider supporting our mission to be Yeshua’s hands and feet to love on the Jewish people we know and love in Israel. Even the smallest gift helps us to be the blessing we are called to be. See our ways of giving online or through checks and banking Zelle, all on our website Love For His People.
Message #128 in this series – in the year of our Lord 11.26.2022 – “When No Becomes Know” – Saturday, 5:58 am in Charlotte, North Carolina
Love For His People Ministry. is a charitable, USA humanitarian ministry started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations, especially to and within Israel. If these letters minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless known families in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Go here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards, Zelle, or PayPal |
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