When God is Silent - Part 1

I can honestly say these past couple months in Madison have been the best months of my life.  Simultaneously, I can honestly say these past months in Madison have been the hardest months of my life.  I’m not going to beat around the bush.  Unemployment sucks.  Searching for a job in a difficult economy sucks.  Being told repeated that you didn’t get the job really sucks.  But…

Ephesians 2:8-10 says:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am obligated to believe that He has a great plan for my life.  I do believe this.  And it is about the only thing that keeps me going in my job search.  Well, that and desperation.  I know I am a good worker, intelligent and driven.  I know I make a good employee.  When I think like that, I wonder why I can’t get a job!  I mean, I’m smart, kind, accomplished, attractive… why wouldn’t someone want to hire me?  But… God has good work assigned for me.  I just haven’t found it yet.  He hasn’t revealed it to me.  At least not the “good work” that gives me a paycheck!

So I wait.

My lovely fiancée, Jennifer has been spending time meditating on the story of Lazarus.  In John 11, Jesus receives a message from Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus (all good personal friends of Jesus) is not well.  At the time he receives the message, Jesus is just a few miles away from Bethany, their hometown.  If Jesus had chosen to, he could have gone that day and healed him.  For whatever reason though, he chose to kill some time.  He delayed his return and in the meantime, Lazarus died.

Our human nature asks, why did he not go?  What purpose could he be serving by waiting?  I am sure Mary and Martha wondered, “Where is our friend?  Why is he not coming?  If he were here, he could do something.”

But the Lord had a bigger plan.  In John 11:14, Jesus plainly shares with his disciples that his delay will help their belief.  Later, verse 45 states that many that saw what Jesus had done chose to believe in Him.

Now I am not trying to say that my future employment will guide many to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.  Who knows.  Maybe it will.  But what I take away from this is that Jesus has a bigger plan.

For the sake of brevity, I will end here.  Check back tomorrow for Part 2.