Remove the stone – Devotions for 5-14-25
John 11:39 “Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’…”
The stone was blocking the way. The story in John 11 is that of Lazarus in the tomb. He had died and was buried in a tomb and “a stone was lying against it.” When they put his body in the tomb, a large stone was laid against the opening to the tomb, and it was blocking the way.
But the way to what? What was it blocking? To the family and friends of Lazarus it was blocking the view and smell of a decaying body that had been in it for four days. They wanted the stone to stay there. But to Jesus it was blocking the way for Lazarus to come out of the tomb. Jesus was going to bring his friend Lazarus back to life, but that stone was in the way.
What stones are in our lives? We think they are there for a good reason, preventing something bad from happening, protecting us. Maybe it is a family “stone”, something that you, or some family member put up between you and them to keep you both “safe” and to keep you apart lest you hurt one another. Maybe it is a “stone” of some sort of self-invention to keep you protected from another kind of harm; some pain you once experienced and don’t want to experience again. You quit going somewhere because of bad memories. You stopped doing something you used to do because of some accident or painful situation in the past. You found reasons to say no to something or someone you used to say yes to because it is easier than facing that person or situation again.
We all put up “stones” in our lives that we think keep us from pain. But what if that stone keeps us from experiencing something good, something wonderful. What if what is behind that stone has been changed, healed or fixed? What if something great from the Lord is behind that stone and the stone is keeping you from some great blessing?
Remove that stone! Is that what Jesus is calling you to do? Call that friend or family member you have been hiding from. Go to that place you used to go before whatever it is that caused you to stop going. Talk with the neighbor who hurt you years ago causing the two of you to stop being friends. Do that thing you quit because of some painful incident in the past. Remove that stone and see if God has healed that pain. Look for the miracle behind the stone.
In this case, Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. The stone had been put there to keep everyone out. His body would have been rotting after four days and the stone helped keep that smell in, and the sight out of view. His family wanted to keep the stone in place, but Jesus knew that there would be no stench for he was going to heal Lazarus.
What Lazarus’ family thought was protecting them, was in truth keeping them from seeing the miracle that Jesus was going to do. Often, what we think is protecting us is actually keeping us from experiencing the miracle God is waiting to reveal in our life.
When President Reagan called for Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”, he was seeing the miracle of a united Germany, while the Russians were seeing a wall to protect them. When the wall came down, the whole world saw a miracle that the wall kept from happening. Families were reunited. Germany was reunited. Much of Europe was changed for the good. The wall was preventing a miracle. The stones in our lives, often are not protecting us, they are preventing God from doing His miracles in our lives, restoring families and friendships, fulfilling lives, bringing joy after pain.
What stones need to be removed in your life for God to do His miracles?
Pastor Gary.
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