When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only You had been here, my brother would not have died." John 11:20-21
Social media has benefits, but the most significant disadvantages it brings are filters. All over social media, people use filters to make their pictures look perfect, hiding any imperfection that their pictures may contain. Filters give us a false reality of what people are facing. They present life as picture-perfect and keep us from truly knowing each other. I am so grateful that we do not have to approach God unfiltered. We do not have to pretend to be anything we are not with Him. We do not have to hide anything from Him. He wants to know it all. Today, we will discover that we can be honest with Him when we approach Him, even when we are confused and disappointed.
In John 11, we learn that Jesus waited two days before going to His friend Lazarus after finding out he was very sick. When he finally went to see him, Lazarus had died. When Jesus arrived in the town where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha ran to meet Jesus and said these heartbreaking words: "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died" (verse 21). Have you ever felt like Martha? Maybe you have felt that God was distant or absent during your pain. Maybe you have asked Him, "Where are you?" Maybe you are feeling like asking Him that right now.
Did you know that it is okay to ask Him these questions? It is good to ask Him these questions and show Him your frustrations. However, our cries to God should not be without hope. Notice John 11:21. Martha told Jesus that even after Lazarus had died, she knew that Jesus could do anything. Jesus explained that He was the resurrection and the life. And that is what she wanted for her brother.
My friend, it's time today to get honest with God. Come to Him, unfiltered. Tell Him your hurts and disappointments. Tell Him the areas of your life where you are confused. He invites us to be honest with Him and share these things. You do not have to use filters when you talk to Him. You do not always have to appear happy and smiling. You can tell Him when you are confused and hurt. You can come to Him just as you are.
Today, your call is to be honest with God. Pull out your journal or a notebook. Tell God what you are going through, and tell Him about your hurts, hardships, and disappointments. Tell Him if you are confused or hurting. Tell Him exactly how you are feeling. He can handle it. He already knows and wants you to be perfectly honest with Him.
"Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."
23 Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day."
25 Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"
27 "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God."
