Have you ever found yourself asking, "Why, God?" Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a monsoon wondering what God is doing in your life? Have you wondered why your circumstance is happening the way it is happening? Maybe you are feeling all of these things right now. We will face many monsoons throughout our lives, and many of them leave us confused, with more questions for God than answers. Today, we are going to talk about this monsoon of confusion, and through our Bible study, we are going to see that we can turn to God with our questions and that He meets us in our pain.
What is the most miraculous thing you have seen God do for a friend or family member when they were facing a monsoon in their life?
1. Have you ever asked, "Where is God" in your pain? If so, describe that time. How did God show up in your pain?
2. Read John 11:1-6. What do you think Mary and Martha felt when they heard Jesus stayed where He was two more days before going to a very sick Lazarus? What would you have felt?
John 11:1-6 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days.
John 11:1-6
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days.
3. According to these verses, why do you think Jesus stayed two more days before going to Lazarus?
4. John 11:17-22. Is there an area of your life where you feel similarly to Martha in these verses? If so, what area is it?
John 11:17-22 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 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. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
John 11:17-22
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 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. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
5. John 11:43-44 tells us the end of this story. While Mary and Martha wanted healing, Jesus planned a resurrection. In what area of your life are you looking for God to work? What would it look like to ask Him for a resurrection instead of healing?
John 11:43-44 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
John 11:43-44
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
6. Based on Jesus' purpose for His seeming "delay" in going to see Lazarus (John 11:40), why might He respond similarly sometimes in our lives?
7. Who is one friend that you can turn to when you hit a monsoon? How can you be that friend in this group to one another?
Does anyone in your group know someone going through a monsoon right now? As a group, think through one thing you can do to help carry them through the storm. Whether you are making them a meal, providing them an item that they need, or calling them and asking what you all can do to help, let them know that they are not alone. Be sure to take time to let them know how much God loves them.
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Psalm 145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
Psalm 145:8
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
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