CAIN is forging a musical path with distinct familial harmonies, thoughtful lyrics, and foot-stomping, acoustic brilliance on their song, “Rise Up (Lazarus).”
"But when Jesus heard about it, He said, 'Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.'" – John 11:4 NLT
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were close friends of Jesus. But Lazarus was sick, died, and many people wept before Jesus raised him from the dead. Why did Jesus let this happen? Why does He allow us to feel the sting of pain sometimes?
As the song “Rise up (Lazarus)” states, we can feel “in the dark and all alone” and can be “too scared to move and walk out of this tomb.” Where do we go when we are “buried underneath”?
In the story of Lazarus, Jesus shows us four principles to help us R.I.S.E. above our circumstances.
Realize God’s love for you. When Lazarus was sick, the Bible says the Lord “loved the one who was sick” and that Jesus “loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.” Jesus made you on purpose for a purpose because He loves you and loves to work in His children.
Identify ways to glorify God. Jesus knew Lazarus’s sickness would not end in death, but it “happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God [would] receive glory from this” (John 11:4 NLT). God does things for His glory. Enjoying God’s presence, loving your spouse, honoring your parents, singing songs about Jesus, and working hard at work and school are all ways to glorify God. Ask yourself, how can I glorify Jesus? When we do, we will use our gifts and talents to make much of Jesus.
Stay tuned for compassion. The shortest verse in the Bible is, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). He wept because He loved and cared for people. We miss opportunities to express love and compassion for others because we “tune out” instead of “staying in tune.” Bringing cookies to your sick neighbor, mowing their lawn, visiting a friend in the hospital, comforting someone sad—these are all expressions of Christlike compassion. Let’s try to stay tuned and be ready for compassion in action.
Empower yourself in Jesus. Jesus can empower us if we lack compassion. He is ready to forgive our sins and empower us as we deal with our brokenness. Come to Him, and let’s rise like Lazarus so we can reach others with the compassion of Jesus.
Digging Deeper:
- In what specific ways can you love like Jesus? Who can you love, forgive, or serve today?
- Do you have a specific person that can receive your compassion? Who? How? Pick a time and reach out to them.
- Read Psalm 32:1-5.
