DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL FOR DECEMBER 23, 2022 (TAKE AWAY THE STONE)
TOPIC : TAKE AWAY THE STONE
Text: John 11:34-43
34. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35. Jesus wept.
36. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37. 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?
38. Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39. 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.
40. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41. 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.
42. 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.
43. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
KEY VERSE: John 11:39
“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.”.
MESSAGE
Some miracles will not take place except man plays his role of removing every possible hindrance on his way. Most of these obstacles are self-imposed or man-made. No amount of fasting, praying, binding and loosing will remove them unless the obstacles are removed.
Lazarus had died and Jesus came to see Mary and Martha, his sisters. When He saw Mary and the Jews weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. Jesus requested to see where Lazarus was kept.
As He was being led to the place, He wept. The grave was a cave with a stone rolled over the entrance. Jesus demanded that the stone be taken away. Martha, instead of getting people to obey the instruction, started to make argument of Lazarus’ stinking body.
Jesus replied her that faith would make her experience the glory of God. Indeed, when the stone was taken away, Lazarus came to life.
Jesus could have commanded the stone to move. But He did not. “Stones” in the life of a believer can hinder full manifestation of God’s glory.
These stones can be described as causes of unanswered prayers, which limit the believer from receiving the best from the Lord. It could be doubts, discouragement, complaining and murmuring, fear, worry, impatience, prayerlessness or sin.
When we doubt God, it means we are unsure of His ability to fulfil His word. It makes us forget His past goodness and faithfulness in our lives, which makes one slide into complaining and murmuring.
To experience the mighty power of God in any situation or challenge of life, we must remove every “stone” that can hinder our breakthrough.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Remove the stone for resurrection power to manifest.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezekiel 22 – 24
Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM). It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.
