John 11:1-6 – Turn to Christ
True Christians can suffer from sickness as much as unbelievers. Lazarus of Bethany is one whom Jesus loves, and a brother of two well-known holy women. But Lazarus is dying. The Lord Jesus, who has power over all diseases, can prevent this illness if He wants. But He doesn’t. He allows Lazarus to be sick, and in pain, and tired, and to suffer like any other man. As Christians we need to remember that sickness is not a sign that God is angry with us; in fact it generally happens for the good of our souls. It tends to take our mind off the things of this world and focus it on the things of God. It sends us to our Bibles and teaches us to pray better. It helps to prove our faith and patience and shows the real value of our hope in Christ. It reminds us that we do not live on this earth forever and prepares us for heaven. We must believe that, if we belong to Him, our Lord Jesus loves us when we are sick no less than when we are well.
Jesus Christ is the Christian’s best friend in times of need. When Lazarus is sick his sisters immediately turn to Jesus. They don’t tell Him to come at once or work a miracle. They just tell Him that the one He loves is sick and leave it at that, believing that Jesus will do what is best. This is true faith, humility, and obedience that we would do well to imitate. When those we love are sick, we will obviously spare no pains to help them to recover. But in all we do, we must never forget that our best Helper is in heaven at God’s right hand. Like Mary and Martha, we must pray. Let us not forget, in the hurry and excitement of our feelings, that none can help like Him, and that He is merciful, loving, and gracious.
Questions
- How can sickness help us to be a better Christian?
- What do the sisters do when their brother is sick?
- What should we do when those we love are sick?
Prayer Points
- Pray for those in the congregation struggling with illness.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.