11/18/25 Jesus Waited Too

Takeaway: When Jesus waits, it is never without purpose; every divine delay carries the promise of a greater glory.

Opening Prayer

Gracious Lord, I quiet my heart before You now. As I reflect upon Your Word, open my eyes to see Your truth and my heart to receive Your presence. Teach me through this time to trust Your timing, and listen for Your voice. Amen.

Reflection

The story of Lazarus’ illness and death in John 11 is one of scripture’s most remarkable images of the divine delay to act. When word reached Jesus that His dear friend was gravely ill, the natural expectation was immediate action. Those who loved Lazarus must have assumed that Jesus would drop everything, hurry to Bethany, and prevent the inevitable. Yet the Gospel says something unsettling: Jesus stayed where He was two more days. Jesus waited. He waited not because He didn’t care, but because He did. As confusing as that might be.

We often wrestle with the tension between what we know of God’s love and what we see in our circumstances. If God truly loves us, why does He wait? Why doesn’t He intervene when the situation seems to demand it? The answer, as seen in this story, is that divine waiting is not neglect in anyway. Jesus’ waiting was not wasted, it was a deliberate pause to reveal something even greater. His delay would not just bring healing; it would bring new breath and life. What Martha and Mary wanted was relief; what Jesus intended was the revelation of glory. Through that waiting, God’s power would be displayed in a way that simple healing never could.

This truth touches every season of waiting we endure. When prayers seem unanswered and heaven feels silent, it’s easy to assume God has forgotten us. But in the stillness, something holy is happening. Jesus’ delay was purposeful and so are the delays in our lives. His timing ensures that when the breakthrough comes, it points unmistakably to His glory rather than our effort. We see only the present pain, but He sees the future restoration. What feels like a pause is often a setup for a greater revelation.

Notice also the subtle tenderness in Jesus’ delay. John tells us that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Love motivated the waiting. In God’s kingdom, love and delay are not opposites; they often coexist. Sometimes God loves us too much to answer quickly. If He acted instantly, we might receive what we wanted but miss what we truly need. His timing deepens our trust, and aligns our hearts to the greater reality of who He is.

Questions

How do you usually respond when God seems to delay answering your prayers?

How does knowing that Jesus Himself waited encourage you to trust His timing more fully?

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for reminding me that delay does not mean rejection. Teach me to rest in the truth that Your timing is perfect and Your purposes are good. Help me to wait not with worry but with worship, trusting that You are working even in the stillness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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