If you’ve heard my testimony, you know I’ve learned this lesson the hard way: doing things my way, trying to fix problems, or making things happen because God seemed too slow- it never worked my way. We often turn to social media, friends, or self-help for instant answers, but our sin nature craves control, comfort, or something tangible we can see or hear or touch. Whatever the reason—laziness, stubbornness, impatience—we must stop running everywhere but to Jesus. Godly counsel has its place, but it should never be our first stop. When we place our confidence in Jesus, His Word, and the finished work of the Cross, we’ll find that all we truly need is found in Him first.

Let’s look at the story of Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus died. In John 11, Lazarus becomes sick, and they send word to Jesus in verse 3: “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” But Jesus, already knowing what was going to happen, deliberately stays two more days. How many of us realize that sometimes when God seems silent or delayed, He may be setting up a divine, glorified appointment or testimony? That was the case here as Jesus tells His disciples plainly in verse 14, “Lazarus died.” Like Mary and Martha, we may not understand God’s timing, but we can rest in knowing He loves us deeply. And it’s that assurance of His love that gives us the confidence to come to Him first, no matter what we’re facing.

First, we see that Mary and Martha went straight to Jesus with their pain. In verses 21 and 32, both sisters said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, 32). This was not only disappointment—it was a confession of faith that they knew Jesus had the power to prevent death. Even in heartbreak, they knew who He was.

Second, they trusted His authority over life and death. Martha said in verse 22, “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” She believed Jesus could still act, even when it looked too late. That’s the confidence that each of us should have in His power that it is not bound by time or circumstance.

Finally, they believed His promise. When Jesus said in verse 23, “Your brother will rise again,” Martha declared in verse 27, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.” That’s the kind of faith that runs to Jesus first!

Our Encouraging Takeaway: Even in our darkest moments, we can trust Jesus to work beyond what we can see because like Mary and Martha our confidence isn’t in the situation-it is in who Jesus is.