From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Don't worry about the smell
What do you think of when you encounter something that really
stinks? I think of things you don't want to touch, but instead
avoid, things you need to put away into the trash, or bury. Some
"stinks" can make your eyes water, or even "burn" your nose. Those
smelly things make me want to get away from them; they are definitely
unpleasant!
The idea for this message came from a familiar Bible passage, that
one pertaining to the death and coming back to life of Lazarus. Lazarus'
two sisters had sent word to Jesus that their brother was very sick, thus
implying they wanted Him to come and heal their brother, as HE had done for
so many others. Then an interesting thing is
said: Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and
Lazarus. When he had heard
therefore that he was sick, he abode two days
still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith
he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. (John 11:5-7
(KJV) A modern English wording would tell us: "HE loved
Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus, so,
or, because of that fact, when HE heard he was
sick, HE waited two days before beginning to
go in their direction." We would expect that, because HE loved
them, HE would respond as quickly as HE could, but that's not what
it says. How many times have we thought God didn't care, was too busy, or
was upset with us when HE didn't apparently respond in a way we
could see, right away? We need to rethink this, for this passage shows us
Jesus' delay in responding to their petition was because HE loved
them!!! If HE had not, they would have missed out on an amazing
display of Jesus' power over that great enemy called death. I'm in one of
those situations now, where I've been asking God's intervention for close to a
year now. This passage gives me even greater hope that His power will be
revealed in my situation. Could that be true for you,
also?
(Before I get off on another subject, let's get back to the
message I intended.) Have there been, or is there now, things going
on, as you follow after Jesus, that have you questioning whether or not you
heard Him correctly? Do you think you have heard Him telling you to do
something that just doesn't make sense to you? Does His
direction to you appear to be one that would result in something
unpleasant? Would what you think would be the result
stink? Does it seem like it would not be at all what you
have been praying for and needing? Read over this account of what came
about because of Jesus' delay in responding to the crisis concerning Mary,
Martha, and Lazarus: Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave
four days already. (HE really took His time!!)
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And
many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their
brother (others responded, where was Jesus?). Then Martha,
as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still
in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst
been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even
now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus
saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him,
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last
day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou
this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the
Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. (I'm
skipping the account of Mary being notified) Jesus therefore again
groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon
it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone.
Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by
this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four
days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou
wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took
away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his
eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I
knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I
said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he
thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And
he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face
was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him
go. (John 11:17-27, 38-44 (KJV)
Have you ever had God direct you to do something you thought was just
plain, "not a good idea?" Maybe you are experiencing such a thing right
now, or you are about to. You know HE's God, All-knowing, All-powerful,
etc., but some part of where HE's leading you just doesn't seem
quite right .
From what you "know", that action will result in something unpleasant, not at
all what you are seeking, in other words, it will
stink! Martha faced just such a
thing. She couldn't "see", with her limited physical vision, as opposed to
the eyes of faith, what Jesus was going to do, so what HE asked to be done, at
least in her mind, could not result in anything good. She "knew"
there was a body dead 4 days in that tomb, in a hot land, so
of course decomposition had begun and any fragrant spices in the grave clothes
could no longer cover that peculiar stench. These are the things she
"knew", so she questioned and balked at the idea of opening the tomb. She
"knew" Jesus must not have thought of that, but, what she "knew" was
wrong! That is exactly the the case with us, when what God leads us to do
seems wrong. HE's not wrong; we are! HE sees what we cannot see; HE
knows what we cannot know; HE does what we cannot do. God is the
LORD! We are merely the sheep of His pasture. We are clay in the
hands of the Potter. God usually does not let us see so that we may
believe; HE usually tells us believe so we may see! It doesn't
matter if we think the results will be a "stink", HE tells us, "don't
worry about the smell; leave that to Me!"
God knows what HE's
doing in and through our lives. HE sees the end from before the
beginning. HE makes no mistakes! Ours is but to trust and
obey, not to worry about the smell! Instead of a stink, it will come out
"smelling like a rose!"
Ben