This sickness will not end in death. (John 11:4)
I KNEW CLAUDIA in Germany. She raised her hands in worship and served hearty dishes at church suppers. “Jesus healed me,” she told me one day. “The doctors have no way to explain the disappearance of my MS. One day I had the disease, the next day I was cured.” She loved to give glory to God for her healing.
I knew Laura in Colorado. She served in overseas missions and worked with children’s groups. After an intense battle with cancer, she passed away. Still, her story inspires others to serve God passionately.
In John 11:4, Jesus promised that Lazarus’s illness would not end in death and that God would receive glory. However, Lazarus did die, and Jesus raised him from the dead. The disciples were confused, but Jesus wanted them to trust Him for the outcome of Lazarus’s story.
When sickness strikes the believer, God offers strength through hope. He delights in healing, turning dark moments into amazing miracles. He also invites us to lean into Him when the healing doesn’t come. Claudia’s story led to earthly healing. Laura’s story led to heavenly healing and rest. However the results of our individual lives may look, we can know that all things are for “God’s glory, so that God’s Son may be glorified.” Look to Jesus. With Him is life, today on earth, and tomorrow in heaven.
Thank God today for how He is using your individual story for His glory.
Kathleen Dunlap lives in Colorado with her husband and Great Dane mix. For fourteen years, she worked in missions in Germany. She enjoys reading and running.