To His Name be the Glory

God wants his name to be glorified. He has created us for the glory of his name. 

Over the past week, we have been teaching in the schools about the story of Lazarus. It's interesting because this story has come up in two other places in the past week as well. I've been praying and asking God what he wants me to see in this story. I have found that he really wanted me to see two main things, so far, at least. 1. That the purpose for us and Jesus' purpose is to bring God glory. 2. That we must believe. 

I don't think it's any coincidence that this week, one of my ministry days was spent in a hospital praying over people for healing. So let's take a look at this story and also how this has been playing out in my own life. 

When they came to tell Jesus that Lazarus was sick, he told them, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Ultimately, Jesus goal was to glorify God and himself (because he is God).  It wasn't about making Mary and Martha and Lazarus happy. I think this also relates to suffering in our lives. We so often don't understand why God doesn't heal in certain situations or take us out of suffering. I have found that somehow, even if we don't see it or understand it he is giving himself glory. 

It was interesting because as we went into the hospital we prayed for physical healing, we prayed for emotional healing, and more. Above all, we were there to love people and glorify God through it. As we were entering, I felt nervous. What if we pray and nothing happens? What if God doesn't speak through us? What if people aren't open? A friend of mine then said something like, "well, then that's God's problem." Our job isn't to make miracles happen or to make people come to Christ. Our job is to be a vessel for the Lord and allow him to do the rest. When we step out in his name, and know that it is not within our power to do something, he truly gets all the glory. Which leads us into the next part, Jesus wants us to believe. 

He tells his disciples, "For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." He wanted them to see it wasn't just a coincidence that Lazarus got better from an illness. Believing is still hard for me, I'm still growing. Do I believe that God can do miracles? Absolutely. In theory. But when it comes to praying and acting in a way that shows I believe that, I still struggle. I ask God to help my unbelief and remember that ultimately it's his will being done. He calls all of us to believe in him. We have to believe that he is truly our resurrected Lord and he has the power to perform miracles, yesterday, today and forever. BUT those miracles are never to be about us, but only the glory of his name. 

So did I see anything completely crazy happen? No, I didn't see anyone's legs grow or become healed right before my eyes. But I watched someone accept Christ. I watched people weeping as the Lord gave us words of knowledge that could only come from him about their lives. I saw people leave because their pain was gone and they believed with great faith that they had been healed. Ultimately, God showed up. He showed that he loves his people and people came to know him more because of what he did. Many of the people there were special, but there were two people that really stuck with me as I left the Hospital yesterday. 

First, was a young woman. We prayed for her toddler who had a broken arm. As we were praying, I felt a strong sense that we weren't done and we needed to pray for her too. I felt the Lord saying that we needed to pray for her to have a mentor, someone to take care of her because she had been feeling really alone and without support. When I told her this, she began to cry and told us that her Dad had passed away recently and her mom lived far away. She had an aunt, but that was really it. We were able to pray with her that God would provide for her needs and that she didn't need to feel alone. Only God could truly know and meet her needs. 

There was also a young man that we met and Lindsey had the chance to speak a very powerful prayer over him and a situation she really didn't know anything about, except through the Lord's guidance. Later, he came back and thanked us. He told us he had no idea how we knew those things, but that this has encouraged his faith. Then when he looked at me, he told me that he recognized my face. He said, "you came to my school in Valle de Angeles". It was then, we made the connection that I had visited his school with the team from Memphis in October. He had received the gospel then! He said he remembered. His faith has been built once again, and I believe he will continue to be transformed into a leader in his school! It's awesome to see God continuing to make divine appointments! 

So some of these things might sound a little crazy, but I know my faith has been grown and encouraged over the past number of weeks. I am amazed and how he chooses to use me, even in the midst of my own doubts, insecurities, and imperfections when I just give myself fully to him. I pray that God would continue to do that, not for me, but to continue making His name great! To God be the glory!