Lately I’ve pondered events in our lives we wish didn’t happen, or wonder why God allowed in the first place. In re-reading the story of the blind man Jesus healed in John 9, his disciples asked Jesus who sinned. The blind man or his parents to cause the man’s blindness.

Jesus told the disciples neither sinned. The blindness happened so God’s glory, the work of God, might be displayed in the man’s life.

I find people today still ask the question the disciples asked. “Who sinned to cause this calamity?” They assume someone surely sinned. They don’t view this it as an opportunity for the work of God to be displayed.

If we jump to John chapter 11, we see after Jesus deliberately tarried before he set out for Bethany, he raised his friend Lazarus from the grave. When Lazarus’ sister Martha questioned Jesus’ delay, he told her it was to show God’s glory so the work of God would be displayed.

A friend of mine once commented it is a good thing when Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, Jesus used direct address and called Lazarus by name. Otherwise, if Christ simply said, “Come out!” with no name attached to the command, every body in the surrounding tombs would rise. True.

Thinking of our own lives, and the lives of those around us, can we look at the less than spectacular events, and see the hard things as opportunities to display the work of God? I think so.

Have the eyes of those once blind in darkness opened to the Light of who Jesus is as Savior, Lord, and King?

Have those once dead in sin raised to new life in Christ?

Has the bitterness of past hurts and unforgiveness fallen from lives as surely as scales fell from blind eyes?

Has the one who wandered far off God’s intended path re-calibrated their GPS coordinates and returned?

If so I would say each of these events, and many others, happened so the work of God would be displayed.

How has God displayed his glory and work in your life or the lives of those you know?

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Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 (NET)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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You can find my June Inspire a Fire post here. Please stop by and read it.