Our Part

Jesus said, “Take ye away the stone”; John 11:39. Then in verse 43 he said, “Lazarus come forth”. With those two statements he raised Lazarus from the dead.

A couple of thoughts jumped into my mind. First, how precise Jesus had to be with his words. If he had said, “Come forth” and forgot to say “Lazarus”, that graveyard would have looked like a new plowed field.

Then, since a word from Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, don’t you know how easily He could have ordered that stone to remove its’ self? Why did he tell those around him to remove the stone?

Every promise from God requires an action on our part. If we’ll do “this”, He’ll do “that”; He requires our participation in the fulfilling of all promises.

“Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do”, Deuteronomy 29:9

“If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods…..and serve Him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines”; I Samuel 7:3

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”; II Chronicles 7:14

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”; Romans 10:9

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”; Romans 9:13

If it seems the Lord is not listening or is not responding to our prayers, we need check out our side of the equation and see if we’re doing our part.