God's Big Picture

 "When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto

death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."   John 11:4

I've been reading Joanna Weaver's wonderful book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  If you haven't read it, do so.  Here's a LINK to her website.  Every chapter of this book has been inspiring to me.  Currently I'm in the chapter that deals with Lazarus' death and subsequent resurrection by the Lord in John chapter 11.  It teaches us about God's Big Picture. 

What intrigues me most in this story is when Jesus was told that his dear friend Lazarus was sick and dying He (Jesus) "abode two days still in the same place where He was" (verse 6).  In our way of thinking we would say "some friend".  But, Jesus is the artist of the "big picture"; seeing beyond what Mary, Martha and all the others were seeing.  They failed to see that Jesus was using this tragedy to glorify God and so that "many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him"  (verse 45).

  We are PRECIOUS to Him

His PLANS are based on Divine PROMISES

This passage clearly teaches God's Big Picture for mankind.  Lazarus and his sisters were precious friends of Jesus.  Jesus' plan was to glorify God and He kept the promise that Lazarus would rise again.  

 
Being an habitual planner and list maker, I often miss the Big Picture as well.  I'm a fan of Day Planners, to-do lists, calendars, and shopping lists. However, 
the Lord is teaching me that some things I plan will inevitably get side-tracked, postponed or simply eliminated.  Everything does not always work out just because I've painstakingly planned it!  I thank Him for keeping me humble by reminding me my plans and ways are not His plans and ways. Even though I plan, I don't know what tomorrow may bring, but I do know the One that holds the tomorrow. I also know that the Artist of the Big Picture has the perfect plan for my life.