Never Hopeless
John 11:37-45
As much as we want to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity, we may have to deal with nagging doubts. We may see other people who have recovered from their addictions and still wonder if we will be able to recover as they did. We may fear that our lives are "too far gone."
If anyone was too far gone to recover from anything, it was Lazarus, a friend of Jesus. Lazarus had been dead and buried (without embalming) for four days when Jesus finally arrived on the scene. "He arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 'Roll the stone aside,' Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, 'Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.' Jesus responded, 'Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?' So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.' Then Jesus shouted, 'Lazarus, come out!' And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, 'Unwrap him and let him go!'" (John 11:38-44).
When we feel like our lives are too far gone we can remember Lazarus. Jesus wanted everyone to know that when God is in the picture, no one is ever too far gone.
Because of God's power, no one is beyond recovery.
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