Before the Savior Comes

There is often a gap between the moment the hurt arrives and the moment Jesus shows up. The grief, the loss, the unanswered prayer — all of it unfolds while we wait. And waiting can feel like absence. Like neglect. Like God is taking His time… just because.

Martha knew that feeling well. She had seen Jesus heal the sick, restore the broken, and perform miracles that defied reason. So when her brother Lazarus became ill, she expected the same response. Instead, Jesus arrived after the funeral. After the tears. After hope had already been buried.

John 11 reminds us that delay is not denial — but it doesn’t soften the pain of the delay. Martha’s heartbreak was real. Her question was honest. And Jesus did not rebuke her grief. He stepped into it.

In this story, Lazarus rises. But the harder question lingers: what if your situation doesn’t?

What if the thing you prayed would live… dies?
What if healing doesn’t come the way you imagined?
What if Jesus still shows up — but not in time to change the outcome you wanted?

Before the Savior comes, faith is tested. Not in the miracle, but in the waiting. Not in the resurrection, but in the trust that His ways are higher, His thoughts are wiser, and His love remains — even when the ending doesn’t look like resurrection.

Can we trust His sovereignty when we don’t understand His timing?
Can we trust His love when the story doesn’t resolve how we hoped?
Can we trust that He is still good — even then?

Because sometimes faith isn’t believing God can raise the dead.
It’s believing He is still God when He doesn’t.

Reference Scripture:

John 11:1-44