Notes from a favorite Podcast: New Spring Church- Perry Noble
"Overwhelmed: If it Ain't Good, God Ain't Done"
God wants you to have a good life. The Old Testament tells us: The Lord is my Shepherd. The New Testament tells us: God is our Father. God is a good God. And He wants good things for His children. And at this moment, He is working for the good in your life.
Romans 8:28 "And we KNOW (not think about, guess, hope) that in ALL things (not just some), God works for the GOOD of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
God is WORKING for your GOOD!
How can I call God "good" when things are so bad?
IF IT AIN'T GOOD, THEN GOD AIN'T DONE.
John 11:1
Lazarus was "ICU" sick. He was from Bethany. His sisters (Mary and Martha) told Jesus he was sick. {That is what we are supposed to do-- ask God for help in time of need.} They did the right thing. Verse 4 says "This sickness will NOT END in death." Verse 5 says "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister and Lazarus." This is interesting that John writes this because when times are tough and falling apart- we doubt God's love. Verse 6 is weird: when Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for 2 more days. Whaaa? Verse 17, Jesus found Lazarus had already been in the tomb for 4 days. THAT IS LATE!! He didn't even make it to the funeral!! HA!!
[[Interesting facts: Bethany was established by a group of people who were half Jewish and half Egyptian. They had relocated from Egypt to Bethany about 200 years before Jesus; they had Jewish religious traditions, but when it came to their lifestyle they had Roman-Graeco/Egyptian customs. So on the day someone died, they would have drained all of the blood out of the body, embalmed the body, removed the heart, tongue, eye balls, and brain. Put them in a separate canister. There were 2 layers to the tomb. They put the organs of the dead person in the front layer and the body in the second layer. Now... it is safe to say that when you die and they remove your blood and organs... it is OVER. So Jesus showed up to a town where there is NO HOPE.]]
Maybe that's where you are? No hope? You have heard God is good, but you have a hard time believing God is good because of what is going on in your life. Anxiety comes, most of the time, when we lose hope.
Verse 38, Jesus goes to the tomb. And he has the audacity to say "Take away the stone." Martha reminds him that Lazarus has been in there for FOUR days and it stinks with a bad odor. She took a little stab at him-- also saying, "Hello... if you would have been here on time when we called on you, we wouldn't be in this situation and he wouldn't be dead. I don't think this is a good idea." Mary and Martha were overwhelmed and felt hopeless. Verse 40, Jesus says "Did I not TELL YOU... that if you believe, you will see the glory of God" ...said with a little attitude head-nod. "Did I not tell you, that this will not END in DEATH?" In other words, if it ain't good, I ain't done. "Did I not tell you?"
That is the part that is SO hard. Is taking God at His Word when we are in a hopeless situation. "God, I don't know if I can believe you right now. I don't know if I can trust you. His organs are in jars."
Verse 41, they took away the stone. They are the people who decided to take Jesus at His word. They are the people who knew it didn't make sense, but decided to trust Him, even though they couldn't see His hands, but they knew His heart was good.
Then Jesus looked up and thanked His Father for hearing him (looking around at everyone like "duh"). I said this for the benefit of the people around me... I knew you heard me.
Then Jesus called "Lazarus, COME OUT!"
How ridiculous did Jesus look? We don't think he looked ridiculous, because we have read the book of John. Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and others had not read the book of John. Can you imagine what they were thinking? Lazarus' brains, blood, and organs are in JARS. Did ANYONE believe this was going to happen?
UNTIL... verse 44... the dead man... CAME OUT!! If it ain't good... God ain't done!!
Was Lazarus getting sick good? No. Was Mary and Martha getting worried and upset good? No. Was Lazarus dieing good? No. Was Jesus being 4 days late good? No. But when ALL of these things worked together, it wound up in the resurrection of a dead man. And that WAS good!! God takes all the bad and makes it good!! If it ain't good, God ain't done.
I have joy in my heart because I know that "if it ain't good, God ain't done." Even though my circumstances may not be good, I know I can trust Him because the Bible says he is good, perfect, and holy. Everything he wants for my life is good, perfect and holy.
Your circumstances don't change. But we can know, "In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 "If it ain't good, God ain't done."
Overwhelmed is not where God wants us to be. He wants us to have an "overcomers" mind set. Not to be overwhelmed, but to overcome. The way we overcome, is not to ask God to change all our circumstances, is to ask God to change us through our circumstances, to realize that no matter how bad things get, he is GOOD and he is working FOR the Good of those who love him.
Love, Megan
