MAY 2023 WORD FOR THE MONTH

TAKE AWAY THE STONE

TEXT: JOHN 11:32-44

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou had been here, my brother had not died.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

Jesus wept.

Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Whatever is holding you down from the purpose of God for your life shall be rolled away in the mighty name of Jesus.

Jesus raised many people who had died but Lazarus case was different. He had been buried for four days and according to his sister he will be stinking at the time Jesus came.

Jeremiah 32:27 says, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

May I encourage you to trust and believe in the Almighty God the creator of things to roll away any stones of hinderances to your progress.

2 Samuel 9:1-10

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?

And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.

And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.

And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Mephibosheth the grandson of King Saul was to live his entire life hiding and in poverty, but the grace of God sought him out. The stone of poverty was rolled away, and he lived the rest of his life in the king’s palace.

Do not give up hope, hold on to the Lord who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond and above your expectations – Ephesians 3:20.

If God could raise the dead already buried after four days, yours is an easy thing for God to do.

Are you on the side of the Lord, are you his child, and are you living a life that honour and glorify God?

Isaiah 59:1, God is not deaf to hear you, but your sins have separated you from him that he could not hear. Come to the side of the Lord so that he can fight your battle the way he fought for his children in Egypt and many more. He will roll away the stones of unbelief, the stones of doubt, the stones of depression and hopelessness in the name of Jesus.

Accept the Lord Jesus as your saviour today and come under the protective and the everlasting arms of God.