The God of the Here and Now
In John 11:21-26, Martha comes to Jesus burdened with grief over the loss of her brother Lazarus. Her words, “Lord, if you had been here,” reveal a common perspective we all share: we trust in what God could have done in the past or what He might do in the future, but often forget that He is the God of the present—right here, right now.
Martha’s faith, while genuine, was focused on a future event: the resurrection at the last day. Her theology was accurate, but Jesus shifted her focus from a distant promise to a present reality. With His declaration, "I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus revealed that He is not constrained by time. Wherever He is, God’s power is fully present, and His miracles are available even now.
Imagine a sunrise. You may marvel at its beauty as a memory from yesterday, or you may anticipate its brilliance tomorrow. But if you are too focused on past or future sunrises, you miss the wonder of the light breaking over the horizon this very moment. This is the lesson Jesus wanted Martha—and us—to grasp: God’s power and presence are active now, illuminating our lives when we trust in Him.
Faith placed in Jesus as the resurrection and the life is not limited to waiting for future glory or reflecting on past miracles. It is alive and effective today, transforming grief into hope, despair into joy, and impossibility into reality. Jesus’ words invite us to trust Him not just for what He has done or will do, but for what He is doing now as the God who is ever-present in our lives.
Reflection and Application
Shift your focus to the present: Are you placing your faith in what God has done or will do while forgetting His power in the present?
Trust His presence now: Reflect on areas in your life where you need to acknowledge Jesus as the God of the here and now.
Rest in who He is: Let go of any tendency to see your circumstances as too ordinary or too late for God to act. He is the resurrection and the life—today.
Prayer of Trust
Lord, we thank You for being the resurrection and the life, not just in the past or the future, but right here and now. We rest in the truth that Your power and presence are not bound by time or circumstance. Thank You for being all that we need in every moment. We trust You to bring light and life into every situation, knowing that You are always sufficient. Amen.
Final Thought
God’s power is not confined to history or a distant future. As Jesus reminded Martha, He is the resurrection and the life now. Trust Him to work in your life today with the same power that raised Lazarus.
(Credit: Insights drawn from Ray Stedman's Immeasurably More and photo credit to Unsplash.)