"IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER WOULD NOT HAVE DIED."

Bible Passage:
John 11:21 says

21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

We may have similar questions like Martha asked Jesus:

• If you had been with me, I wouldn't have lost my job?
• If you had been with me, I would have got a job?
• If you had been with me, I wouldn’t have gone through this pain?
• If you had been with me, why am I suffering with such a disease?
• If you had been with me, why have you permitted such things to happen?

We might have plenty of other such questions like the above. Why God Why?

Good people God loving people can come across a bad situation 

Who Is this Mary, Martha and Lazarus?

The Holy Bible says,

 1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.

3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Mary, Martha and Lazarus were believers like us who believed in Jesus and loved Him. But still they were in to a crisis. Please do not believe if some one or some modern churches in today’s world say that if you are a child of God you will never come across crisis. There are enough proof in the word of God that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus. But still their brother died at that stage.

Lazarus Died, Jesus did not come immediately

5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Some times in our life too, though God knows about our situation, He will not show up until His time comes. Though Jesus was aware of Lazarus’ sickness, He stayed two days more where He was. At those waiting times, we may feel that God is far away and may come to a wrong conclusion that God does not love us anymore.

What ever happened in your life is for God's glory

 4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."

 Many a times, we tend to conclude that Lazarus is dead – we put a full stop for hope, faith, and trust.  But He says, this sickness (crisis) will not end in death. It is for the glory of God.

It is too late God it is all over

Mary and Martha thought it was too late for Jesus and the life of their brother Lazarus has come to an end. It is all over. Lazarus had been laid in the tomb (a cave with a stone laid across the entrance) for four days. However, Jesus had another plan.

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
 43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
Jesus did that because He was moved with LOVE and COMPASSION eventually for God’s glory.         35Jesus wept.  36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
He loves us unconditionally. He will not leave us in pain and confusion during crisis. Surely, there is an end for our hope – a happy ending.
All we have to do is to BELIEVE in JESUS. 40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
Remember, God is neither too early nor too late!