Last night I had a powerful dream which was spiritual in nature, and it has stuck with me.  In the dream, we were going to a church conference in another city, but it was too far away to be able to invite any (unsaved) people I knew.  In the dream, I felt like God was telling us that we needed to do something in our own church to reach the people who live here.  The voice that spoke to me in the dream was so clear:  "God wants to provide hope for the hurting."  I'm sure as you read it, without having been in the dream and hearing it for yourself, it sounds so cliched.  But in the dream, behind those words there was such a sense of burden for those who were hurting, so much that in the dream I was weeping -- sobbing, actually -- because the feeling of burden was so powerful. 

That phrase, "Hope for the hurting" has been going through my mind all day.

In the dream, I remember talking to someone about a Christian friend who went through a very dark time of depression, "Can you imagine going through that without knowing God?" 

Later, in the dream, as I was starting to walk out of the room I was in, I heard someone talking behind me to someone else, and they said, "God is looking for someone who will do what He wants them to do."  As soon as I heard the words, I knew in my dream they were meant for me to hear.

There's more to the dream, little details like the fact that almost all of this took place in the building where I work, although the people in the building were people from church, except for one coworker who I barely know. 

I'm not sure what this all means, or if it means anything in particular or special.  I've had spiritual dreams like this before, and my friend Faith has always told me that they are from God. 

When I got up at 4:30 a.m. to feed my baby, after getting her back to sleep I knelt down to pray in my living room.  I told God I was willing to do whatever He wanted of me, and immediately what came to mind was the scripture, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing unto you, O Lord."  I can assure you that as of late, neither my words nor my meditations would be pleasing to God.  So, starting today, I'm making a point to change that.  I was reminded of how James tells us that you can't have both good and bad coming from the same source because the bad taints all the good.  How can I share hope to the hurting when the minute before I'm griping about a coworker? 

I don't know what's in store, and what God wants to do through me, but I want to be ready when He's ready, and  I don't want my sin to block His ability to reach others through me.

1. Romans 12:9(b):  Hold tightly to what is good.
   
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:21(b):  Hold on to what is good.
   

Sometimes when we're in the midst of something difficult, we tend to focus on what's bad.  Today I want to encourage you to change your focus.  If you're finding it hard to hold on through you're trouble and trial, find something good and hold on to it.  Hold tightly and eventually the storm will subside. 

There are so many good nuggets to glean from the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead.  The thing I've gotten from this story lately is that it's not all about me.  Imagine that!  We become so self-centric (if that's not a word, it should be) in our world view that the thought of having to suffer or deny ourselves or put ourselves last for any reason, even a greater good, becomes intolerable.   

Jesus really loved Lazarus and his two sisters.  Three times it's mentioned that Jesus loved them.  (Luke 11:3, 5 and 36).  Clearly the author (or Author) is trying to make a point. 

But Jesus didn't raise Lazarus from the dead becaue he loved him.  He raised him from the dead because he wanted God's son to be glorified.  (See Luke 11:4.) 

I've heard atheists and agnostics call God "sick" (and that's usually followed by a curse word starting with a "b" which refers to an illegitimate child, which is an ironic word choice since God has no beginning, but that's a whole other post) because He doesn't stop pain and suffering from happening.

I don't profess to know the answer to why He has chosen not to stop pain and suffering.  BUT, I think it's important to note that Jesus was glorified through the raising of Lazarus from the dead, and several believed on Him after seeing this important miracle.  So imagine being Lazarus:  not only do you get a second chance at life (in other words, you haven't lost anything but three days and you've gained even more), but you also get a chance to be used as part of a plan to glorify Jesus.

For much of the suffering we experience in life (not all, but most), Jesus can use it to glorify Him, if we're willing.  If Martha and Mary had allowed themselves to become self-centric, and called Jesus a sick @@#$(% and told him to leave their house and never to come back again, and how dare He allow His friend to die, and why would He do this to them, and it's just not fair  considering what He's done for other people He doesn't even love as much, etc., etc., well, I suppose the miracle never would have happened, Jesus wouldn't have receieved glory that day, and those people present that day wouldn't have believed on Him.  An opportunity would have been lost for eternity.

I wish Luke had told us more about Lazarus, Mary and Martha's response to the miracle.  But from my own experience, the joy of being a part of something that glorifies Him far outweighs the pain you suffer from the circumstance.  But you have to let Him in so He can perform the miracle that brings the glory.  Don't block the door, don't turn away from Him, or the glory part will never come, and all you're left with is a bad circumstance and bitterness against the One who intended to use it for something good. 

Lazarus was lucky, not because he was raised from the dead, but because he got to help Jesus be glorified.  It's not all about us, it's about Him.