SICKNESS FOR GOD’S GLORY / JOHN 11:4

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) John 11:4

 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

Finding Purpose in the Pain: A Reflection on John 11:4

We have all faced seasons where a situation feels entirely dead on arrival. Whether it is a failing health report, a broken relationship, a shattered career path, or an overwhelming emotional battle, we often cry out to God wondering why He hasn’t stepped in yet.

In John 11:4, we find a profound answer wrapped in a difficult circumstance. When Jesus hears that His dear friend Lazarus is critically ill, He doesn’t rush to his side immediately. Instead, He makes a statement that completely shifts how we should view our trials:

“This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” — John 11:4 (NASB)

The Shift from ‘Why’ to ‘What For’

When suffering hits, our immediate human instinct is to ask, “Why is this happening to me?”

Jesus subtly redirects the question from the cause of the suffering to its ultimate purpose. He reveals that the final destination of our pain is not destruction, but the manifestation of God’s power.

To Mary and Martha, the situation looked like an absolute tragedy. Lazarus did eventually die, and he remained in the grave for four days. From an earthly perspective, Jesus’s delay looked like a failure. But God’s delay is not His denial; it is often the canvas for a greater miracle. Jesus allowed the situation to get “impossible” so that when He did move, no one could deny that the victory belonged to God alone.

Your Trial is a Canvas for His Glory

This truth isn’t just for Lazarus; it is a promise for every believer navigating a dark valley.

• The final word is victory: Even if our physical circumstances break down, the ultimate end for a believer is never permanent death or defeat—it is eternal resurrection life.
• Trusting the timeline: God cares deeply about our grief. Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, showing His immense compassion. Yet, He still chose to wait because He knew the joy that would come when the stone was rolled away.
• A shifting perspective: When you look at your current struggle today, try to view it through the lens of John 11:4. It is not meant to break you; it is a setup for God to reveal His strength through your weakness.

Whatever “sickness” or storm you are facing today, remember that the story isn’t over yet. Place your situation into the hands of the One who holds power over the grave.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that no situation is too dead or too broken for Your resurrection power. We confess that it is hard to wait, and it is painful when Your timeline doesn’t match ours. Please grant us the grace to trust Your heart when we cannot trace Your hand.

We bring our current struggles, sicknesses, and heartaches to You today. We pray that You would protect our hearts from fear and complaining, and instead fill us with a steadfast hope. Use our trials as a canvas for Your glory, and let the world see Your power and goodness through our lives. We ask that Your will be done, and that the name of Jesus be lifted high in all things. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. YOU ARE GODS? / JOHN 10:34
2. THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH / JOHN 10:28
3. MY SHEEP LISTEN TO MY VOICE / JOHN 10:27
4. I KNOW MY SHEEP / JOHN 10:14-15
5. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD / JOHN 10:11
6. THE THIEF COMES … I HAVE COME / JOHN 10:10
7. I AM THE GATE / JOHN 10:9
8. JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD / JOHN 10:1
9. THOSE WHO SEE WILL BECOME BLIND / JOHN 9:39
10. THEY THREW HIM OUT / JOHN 9:34
11. WORK OF GOD MIGHT BE DISPLAYED / JOHN 9:3
12. BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS BORN, I AM / JOHN 8:58
13. WILL NEVER SEE DEATH / JOHN 8:51
14. HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES / JOHN 8:44
15. IF GOD WERE YOUR FATHER / JOHN 8:42
16. YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED / JOHN 8:36
17. EVERYONE WHO SINS / JOHN 8:34
18. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE / JOHN 8:32
19. IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING / JOHN 8:31
20. I PASS JUDGMENT ON NO ONE / JOHN 8:15
21. I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD / JOHN 8:12
22. NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU / JOHN 8:11
23. IF ANY ONE OF YOU IS WITHOUT SIN / JOHN 8:7
24. JESUS HAD NOT YET BEEN GLORIFIED / JOHN 7:39
25. AS THE SCRIPTURE HAS SAID – STREAMS OF LIVING WATER / JOHN 7:38
26. GAIN HONOR FOR HIMSELF / JOHN 7:18
27. IF ANYONE CHOOSES TO DO GOD’S WILL / JOHN 7:17
28. IT HATES ME / JOHN 7:6-7
29. FEAST OF TABERNACLES / JOHN 7:2-3
30. JESUS HAD KNOWN FROM THE BEGINNING / JOHN 6:64
31. EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD / JOHN 6:54
32. THE FATHER … DRAWS HIM / JOHN 6:44
33. MY FATHER’S WILL / JOHN 6:40
34. I WILL NEVER DRIVE AWAY / JOHN 6:37
35. I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE / JOHN 6:35
36. DON’T BE AFRAID / JOHN 6:20
37. JESUS PRAYS ALONE / JOHN 6:15
38. THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND /JOHN 6:7
39. MIRACLES / JOHN 6:1-2
40. DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE WROTE / JOHN 5:47
41. ACCEPT PRAISE FROM ONE ANOTHER / JOHN 5:44
42. YOU DILIGENTLY STUDY / JOHN 5:39-40
43. YOU HAVE SENT JOHN / John 5:33
44. THOSE WHO HAVE DONE GOOD – RISE TO LIVE – THOSE WHO HAVE DONE EVIL / JOHN 5:29
45. HAS GRANTED THE SON TO HAVE LIFE IN HIMSELF / JOHN 5:26
46. HEARS … BELIEVES / JOHN 5:24
47. MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD / JOHN 5:18-24
48. PERSECUTED HIM / JOHN 5:16
49. STOP SINNING / JOHN 5:14
50. THE MAN WAS CURED / JOHN 5:9-10
51. THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS / JOHN 5:5
52. SIGNS AND WONDERS / JOHN 4:48
53. CROP FOR ETERNAL LIFE / JOHN 4:36
54. LOOK AT THE FIELDS / JOHN 4:35
55. SURPRISED TO FIND HIM TALKING WITH A WOMAN / JOHN 4:27
56. TRUTH / JOHN 4:24
57. WORSHIP … IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH / JOHN 4:23-24
58. SAMARITANS WORSHIP WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW / JOHN 4:22
59. WATER … ETERNAL LIFE / JOHN 4:14
60. SAMARITAN WOMAN / JOHN 4:7
61. WHOEVER REJECTS / JOHN 3:36
62. GIVES THE SPIRIT WITHOUT LIMIT / JOHN 3:34
63. LOVED DARKNESS INSTEAD OF LIGHT / JOHN 3:19
64. GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD /JOHN 3:16
65. JUST AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SNAKE / JOHN 3:14-15
66. THE WIND … THE SPIRIT / JOHN 3:8
67. BORN OF WATER / JOHN 3:5
68. BORN AGAIN / JOHN 3:3
69. TEMPLE / JOHN 2:19
70. DROVE ALL FROM THE TEMPLE AREA / JOHN 2:15
71. SIGNS / JOHN 2:11
72. CHOICE WINE – HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK / JOHN 2:10
73. WINE – THEY HAVE NO MORE WINE / JOHN 2:3
74. YOU SHALL SEE HEAVEN OPEN / JOHN 1:51
75. CEPHAS … PETER / JOHN 1:42
76. THE FIRST THING ANDREW DID / JOHN 1:41
77. THE TENTH HOUR /JOHN 1:39
78. WILL BAPTIZE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / JOHN 1:33
79. LAMB OF GOD / JOHN 1:29
80. PHARISEES / JOHN 1:24
81. GRACE AND TRUTH / JOHN 1:17
82. THE WORD BECAME FLESH / JOHN 1:14
83. BORN NOT OF … HUMAN DECISION / JOHN 1:13
84. RECEIVED … BELIEVED / JOHN 1:12
85. THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM / JOHN 1:10
86. GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN / JOHN 1:9
87. HIS NAME WAS JOHN / JOHN 1:6
88. LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS / JOHN 1:5
89. LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN / JOHN 1:4
90. WITH GOD IN THE BEGINNING / JOHN 1:2
91. THE WORD / JOHN 1:1
92. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace