18. A Potent Plea

My Heart's Desire
Maynard Force
Chapter 18

A Potent Plea
Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. John 11. 3.

This was the message Mary and Martha sent to Jesus when their brother, Lazarus, was at the point of death. Eight well-chosen words. No telegram today was better worded. They could have said, ''Our brother Lazarus is sick," but they chose to word the message, "He whom thou lovest is sick." "He whom thou lovest", what a fitting way of referring to their brother! Friend, do you realize that these words are a fitting description of you also? "He whom thou lovest'', that's you. For the Lord truly loves you, whether you realize it or not. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins'' (1 John 4.10).

"Behold Lord; he whom thou lovest is sick." Lazarus had now become helpless even to the extent of having others wait upon him. He had met with a situation that had overcome him. Whereas his own strength had been sufficient in the past, now he had none. What a moment for Satan to strike! The afflicted often forget that the Lord loves them just as much in their helpless state as when they were strong and healthy. God's Word can not change even if our condition has changed to one of helplessness. We are still described as those "whom thou lovest." Let us never forget that our God is "a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat'' (Isaiah 25.4). How comforting to notice that it was while Lazarus lay in this helpless condition that they referred to him as "he whom thou lovest.''

"Behold, Lord, he whom thou lovest'' is now seemingly quite useless. How tragic if the Lord should cease to love us when we can no longer engage in some outward activity for Him! Such suggestions come from the devil. They seem very reasonable. The prophet Isaiah was tempted to say, "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and vanity'' (Isaiah 49.4). The Lord soon led the prophet out of this depression by bringing him to the conviction, "I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God has become my strength'' (v. 5). What a blessed stopping place for a weary soul! Let us never move away from it. Remember, even though Lazarus lay apparently useless on a sickbed, still he was referred to as ''he whom thou lovest.''

"Behold, Lord, he whom thou lovest'' is at the point of death. What sweet words at a time like that, to be referred to as "he whom thou lovest''! Can it be true that at the end of life, when we are especially conscious of our many failures and shortcomings, we can still be referred to as "he whom thou lovest''? Is there not a danger of putting too much faith in the love of God? Never! Listen to the apostle Paul, "I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'' (Romans 8.38-39) .

Regardless of where you are, or who you are, these words, "Behold, Lord, he whom thou lovest," describes Christ's relationship to you. May your memory grasp them fast. Let them sound and resound in your mind over and over again-"Behold, Lord, he whom thou lovest'' is sick, is tired, is weary, is discouraged, is sorrowful, is sinful, is in trouble, is distressed, is at death's door, or in any other possible situation. To any and to all we cry out with Paul, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us'' (Romans 8.35-37).