Finding Grace in Disappointment (Lessons from Lazarus)Sample

 The thankfulness of Jesus.

They led Jesus, with tears streaming down His face, to the tomb where Lazarus lay dead. Though He knew all of what was about to unfold in just a few moments, His heart was broken for all the brokenness surrounding Him.

After giving the instruction to roll away the stone covering the entrance, it is recorded in John 11:41 TPT that Jesus gazed into heaven and said:

“Father, thank you that you have heard my prayer, for you listen to every word I speak.”

Before Jesus asked His Father for anything standing in front of the tomb of His friend that day, He began with thanking Him.

There is something about thankfulness and gratitude that unlocks the portals of presence and power in heaven.

Listen to this in Psalm 100:4 (TPT):

“You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise. Come right into his presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to him and affectionately bless his beautiful name!”

There is no special formula of confession before God Himself welcomes you into His presence. A heart that is grateful for all He has done in providing you access to His throne is all you need and all He desires.

I love this passage out of Psalm 50 TPT:

“Am I fed by your sacrifices? Of course not! Why don’t you bring me the sacrifices I desire? Bring me your true and sincere thanks and show your gratitude by keeping your promises to me, the Most High. Honour me by trusting me in your day of trouble.”

Trusting me in your what? Your day of trouble. It is so much easier to come to God with our thanks when things have gone our way. But here in the middle of this story of Lazarus, we find ourselves faced with a loss, a disappointment in Jesus that He didn’t turn up for His loved ones like He had for so many others. Thankfulness is harder in our days of trouble. Perhaps it is only me, but my flesh wants to default to the kind of conversation echoed in the crowd that day, “Why didn’t he do something...?” (vs 37) But the ‘why’ questions on our days of trouble will often only serve to diminish or dismiss what has already been done, and we can miss out on what can happen through the power of a thankful heart.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV is a passage that almost seems an unfair ask. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” But in truth it calls us into a higher place, a place of trusting God not only in our best and happiest times, but in our day of trouble. We honour Him by seeing Him in the midst of our trouble, by not succumbing to the circumstances around us, but standing firm in our trust in Jesus and giving thanks for what He already has done.

Jesus spoke of expecting trouble in this life. We are not immune from the brokenness of the world, and Jesus Himself did not hide how much He could be affected by the pain of the consequence of sin upon the world. But He is not the source of it. Separating the source of the trouble and the place of your praise is an essential delineation.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV)

He is good. Every good and perfect thing is a gift from Him. This is why we can come to Him always with a thankful heart. Despite what it looks like around us. The dead and lifeless thing, the broken thing...His goodness and His love does not cease because trouble comes to visit.

Jesus gave thanks BEFORE the miracle. 

While the stench of death surrounded Him, He stood fast and gave thanks to His Father. 

“Father I thank you…”

Commit to making a habit of not just giving thanks for the food you see right in front of you. Give thanks for the victory not yet seen, for the breakthrough not yet here, for the miracle that has not yet happened. 

Give thanks today because He is already good.