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By Mike Caton

John 11:11, After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

Isn’t sleep a blessing? After a long, hard day you come in, take a shower and get comfortable. Then you stretch out, maybe on the couch or in a favorite chair, the TV is on for a little relaxation or perhaps you curl up with a book and then you begin to slowly fade out. You rest, your body recharges, things have a way of looking different after a short nap or a good night’s sleep. In fact, God designed out bodies knowing they would need rest; God rested on the seventh day of creation to set an example for us; not because he needed to rest, but because he knew we would. It is one of the Ten Commandments. Sleep is mentioned 75 times in the Bible. And although rest is a good thing, it can be abused; too much sleep, too much rest, is a bad thing. The Bible often condemns the lazy.

But that is not the case with Lazarus here. He is sick and asleep. We might wonder – the disciples surely did – about why Jesus would go and wake him up. One thought that sticks out here, we need to trust God’s timing, God’s plan. We might not understand it, it might make no sense to us, but we need the faith to trust that whatever God does is right. Even though it might make not make any sense to us, if God is telling us to do it, we need to do it, and we need to do it then.

This is easier said than done, we all know that. But faith requires action.

Father, help me trust and obey. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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