*”But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”* John 11:22
For a long time, I was reading the account of Lazarus simply as a story in the Bible. That changed a few years ago when the Holy Spirit drew my attention to a single phrase spoken by Martha:
*”But I know, even now…”*
Considering what Martha was facing: she had just lost her brother, who was her primary protector and provider in a world where a woman without a husband or father had no legal standing or security. Lazarus was not just her grief; he was her entire future. She and her sister had sent for Jesus four days earlier while Lazarus was still sick, but now he had been dead and in the tomb for over three days.
Yet, in the midst of total heartbreak, Martha released a remarkable declaration of faith. She did not presume to dictate how Jesus should fix the situation. Instead, she humbly acknowledged his authority to intercede, leaving the outcome entirely in his hands.
This is the word faith speaks when everything in the natural says it is over. These words reached into the tomb, past the delay and the disappointment, and declare that God is still God.
Martha’s faith broke through the limits of her own understanding. She had no theological framework for someone rising from the dead after four days, but she trusted the person in front of her more than her own categories. Even with her brother’s body decaying in the grave, she knew God’s hands were not tied.
When Jesus wept, he was not caught off guard by death. He was deeply moved by what loss does to those he loves. He knows the pain of separation and the feeling of helplessness when someone we care about is hurting. But he also came to show us that he is never limited by our timelines. It is never too late.
Martha spoke in faith, Jesus honoured her words and Lazarus walked out of the tomb.
The truth for us today is that God is not limited by your past, bound by your delays or intimidated by whatever four-day grave you might be facing. He is not distant from your daily needs or silent in your suffering, and he is certainly not finished with your story.
As Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He was God yesterday, he is God today and he will be God right now.
Whatever feels dead in your life can still live. Whatever is lost can be restored, whatever is broken can be mended and whatever feels like it is slipping away is still held securely in his hands.
So say it alongside Martha with boldness and conviction: *”But I know, that even now…”*
Lord, I bring you my sickness, my delays, my disappointments and the places in my life that feel dead or lost. I bring you my brokenness and my failing strength, and with Martha, I declare: Even now, I believe. You are God, you are able and you hear me from heaven. Speak life into my dead places and call forth what I thought was gone. Restore what has been stolen, turn hearts back home and strengthen me in my weakness.
Even now, I trust you. Even now, you are working, you are worthy and I will see your glory. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
