Grace to you and peace, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Narrative Story Opening

The man stands before a massive boulder, an obstacle in the middle of his path. He pushes, he shoves, he strains with all his might, but the rock does not move. Days pass. Weeks. His frustration grows. He begins to wonder, Why won’t this burden be lifted? Why is this still here?

One day, as he rests from his struggle, he hears a voice: “Trust the process. The time is not yet.” The man scoffs. How can waiting possibly be the right answer?

The Challenge of Waiting

Waiting is sometimes one of the hardest things we do. Whether it’s waiting for a prayer to be answered, for a burden to be lifted, or for a promise to be fulfilled, it can be taxing to our patience.

The raising of Lazarus¹ is one of the most powerful records of waiting on God’s timing. Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha believed Jesus would come immediately to heal their brother. But Jesus waited. He didn’t arrive until after Lazarus had died. Why? Because God’s timing was at work in a way they couldn’t yet see or understand.

In the first reading for today we heard:

To Everything There is a Season²

God is never late. He works in seasons, not seconds. His delays are not denials, but opportunities for His greater plan to unfold and for our faith to grow.

A farmer doesn’t plant seeds and expect a harvest the next day. There is a season of waiting, trusting that the rain, sun, and time God gives will bring growth. The same is true for God’s timing in the rest of our lives.

Part I: The Deliberate Delay – Jesus Waits

When Jesus received word Lazarus was sick, He didn’t rush to heal him. Instead, He waited two more days.³

Why? Because God’s greater plan was at work. If Jesus had healed Lazarus immediately, the greater miracle of resurrection would not have happened. This is just a couple weeks from Jesus death’ on the cross. He is helping those closest to Him realize death is about to die. Jesus’ death will bring hope.

The Bible says:

The Lord is Not Slow
in Keeping His Promise.⁴

Just as God’s delays are not forgetfulness, neither was Jesus’ delay neglectfulness. It was intentional, purposeful educational. Sometimes, what feels like a painful delay is actually an act of mercy.

A puzzle piece may seem useless and out of place when viewed on its own. But when the whole picture comes together, it makes sense. God’s timing is like that puzzle, we don’t always see the full picture right away.

So the question is: Where in your life is God asking you to trust His timing instead of your own expectations?

Part II: The Pain of Waiting

By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Mary and Martha were grieving, struggling to understand why Jesus had waited. He was their friend. Their house was a regular stop for rest and recuperation. Jesus was there often. They supported Him, believed in Him. Why, when they needed His support, would He not come?

Have you ever felt like that? “Hey God, look at all the stuff I do: Go to church, read my Bible, listen to pastor’s sermons. I show up. Now I need You to show up, and where are You?!” We cry out to God, but it feels like He isn’t listening. The Bible says:

The Righteous Wait on the Lord⁵

David, the author of those words, reminds us in those words that God never abandons His people. Even when we can’t see what He is doing, He is still present and working.

On Sunday we watched the traveler getting lost in the dark woods. Have you ever walked a trail in the woods at night? Without a flashlight, the path can be unclear. With the light, everything makes sense. The same is true in God’s plan for your life. When He reveals it, you’ll see how it all fits together.

Some of you might know times like that. Times when you only understood God’s plan after the waiting-season was over.

Part III: The Miracle in God’s Timing

Jesus finally arrives. Mary and Martha are both frustrated with Him. They don’t understand. They express themselves respectfully but very honestly. Then Jesus says, “Where have you laid him?” They think He’s asking so He can look at the sealed tomb and think about Lazarus. At the tomb He does what no one expects. He calls Lazarus out of the grave!

In that moment, everything changes. What seemed hopeless was transformed by the power of God into hope unimaginable.

If you’re reading through the Bible with us, tomorrow you’ll read about how Israel receives their inheritance in Joshua 16-18. The Israelites had to wait hundreds of years to receive the Promised Land, but when God’s time came, the blessing was fulfilled.

Have you ever been camping. At night the one who holds the flashlight matters. If the beam is pointed the wrong way, everyone stumbles. When it shines ahead, the path is clear. You need someone who is going to consistently show you the path. Jesus is our light. He holds the light. Are we letting Him lead? Are you willing to trust God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment?

Conclusion: Trusting in the Unseen Work of God

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.⁶” Mary and Martha thought Jesus was late. He was right on time. That day, and the events that took place, would in just several days help them all hold on. From Good Friday afternoon to early Easter morning these moments would provide, small as it might have been for them, a small glimmer of hope.⁷ The same is true for your life. Where is God asking you to wait on His timing? Are you willing to trust His pause has purpose? Can you surrender your timeline to His?

The only way to do that well is to believe He really does see you, and He really does care. That is what we’ll learn about on Sunday as we explore “The Shepherd Who Cares.” That will be a time to really see the heart of God, who He is, what He thinks about you, and how much He always cares. These are things everyone should know. I pray you come to hear it.

Narrative Story Closing

The man stops pushing the boulder and steps back. He notices something he hadn’t before: his arms are stronger, his legs sturdier. Over time, he has grown in this delay.

Then, as if on cue, a great wind sweeps through the valley. The boulder shifts. Not by his strength, not by his work, but by God’s timing. The path opens and he will be able to continue on. He settles down to rest for the night, ready to continue on in the morning. Where he goes we’ll see on Wednesday.

Until then remember: Sometimes, we push against something, thinking it’s all about our effort. More often, it’s about what God is doing in us while we wait.

Join us Wednesday as we continue our Lenten journey, discovering more of God’s faithfulness and perfect timing.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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NOTES

1John 11:1-44