If you don’t remember anything from this devotional message please commit these words to memory right now: With God by your side, it’s never too late!

Just before the Pharisees began scheming and plotting to kill Jesus there is a symbolic nugget found in John 11:1-44.

In these passages of text we find a story about Jesus, Lazarus, and his two sisters; Mary and Martha. In Luke 10:40-42 we also learn these are the same two sisters Jesus visited for lunch where Martha chose to be the frantic busybody and Mary chose to anoint the Lord with oil and wiped his feet with her hair.

Well, one day their brother Lazarus became gravely ill and so his sisters sent word to Jesus to come heal him. The message indeed reached Jesus, but the Bible says “When they told Jesus that Lazarus was sick, He did not budge, he did not go anywhere. He stayed right there 2 extra days preaching and teaching about the goodness of God. In the meantime, Lazarus died.

On the third day Jesus said “Let’s go into Judea. I got to go and get Lazarus because he is asleep. “The disciples thought that Lazarus was taking a nap, but Jesus had to make it plain. Lazarus is dead. I got to go and wake him up out of his sleep.”

When Jesus finally arrived at Bethany Lazarus had been wrapped up like a mummy and placed in his tomb for 4 days. Shortly thereafter, when Mary sees Jesus she fell to his feet weeping and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” You know, Jesus never responded to Mary’s statement, but it appeared he was irritated because of their lack of faith. Some translations say after Jesus saw Mary and the others weeping, he was deeply moved and others translations say his anger welled up within him and he was deeply troubled.

At that moment in time everyone thought it was too late for their beloved brother and friend except Jesus. When Jesus arrived to the place where they laid Lazarus to rest, the Bible says in John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” He cried not only because his friend had died but also because there stood in front of him some of the very same people who witnessed or heard of the miracles he performed that made a blind man see, that raised Jarius’ daughter from the dead, that healed a man’s withered hand, that open deaf ears, and caused the lame to walk.

After Jesus prayed in John 11:42, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!”

I can see with my spiritual mind. Some of the people standing there in that moment most likely said we know he can raise the dead after a couple of hours, but Lazarus been dead for 4 days.

I know this devotional is a little long but somebody needs to know that it’s never too late for God!

When Lazarus came forth the Bible says he came dressed in his grave clothes, wrapped up from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet.

The real question is will you be like Lazarus when Jesus call you? Will you come forward? Well, for me it doesn’t matter if I am sea bound, I will come forward, it doesn’t matter if I am in a firey furnace, I will come forward.

So when Lazarus got to the mouth of the grave, they said “How do we know if that is him. Jesus said “Loose him and let him go.”

Beloved, God wants the church to know we don’t have to be bound to our past because its’ not too late. We don’t have to be chained to our present because it’s not too late.

Still not convinced?

Let me call on some friends of mines that will tell you that it is not too late. Come here Adam tell them how you were deceived by the devil and it was to destroy the rest of your seed for eteninty, but Jesus stepped in. Please stand up Abraham and Sarah and testify that the promise manifested in the twilight of your years. Moses thought it was over and done with until a burning bush awakened his spirit! Come here Meshach, Shedrack and Abednego. You were all down in a firey furnace that the king requested it to be 7 times hotter. But Jesus stepped in because its not too late. Now come here sweet baby Jesus. Before Jesus was hanging between yonder and yonder, up and down, then and there. He said that Sunday morning would change the entire course a d destiny of the world!

It doesn’t matter your age, profession, ethnicity, gender, finances, your strengths or weaknesses, the moment you think it’s too late, God whispers, “I still have a plan!”

I encourage you to let go of your timeline, self-imposed deadlines and submit to God’s will. Hold nothing back.  He will prepare and restore you. He’ll heal you and give you exactly what you need. God’s plan for your life may not look the way you dreamed, but don’t let that discourage you. God has the power to exceed your dreams. What we can imagine is limited, but what God can accomplish is not. God will redeem time, opportunities, and dreams.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21