Article September 28, 1998 Issue

God got there first

Divine Love is always here to help and heal.

By Ginny Luedeman

There were three children in my family, and we each loved to sit in the front seat when Mom was driving us somewhere. When it was almost time to go, we would race to stake our claim to the front position by getting there first. We all hoped that possession would be nine-tenths of the law. Usually, however, Mom would remember who had had the front seat last, and she would make us take turns.

The question of "who got there first" has helped me when I've had to face much tougher situations. Who is always there ahead of the problem, no matter what the situation? God. If I have tried my hardest to solve a problem, when my prayers feel like I'm hitting a brick wall, I have found it extremely comforting to remember that God got there first.

Christ Jesus demonstrated this "already there" quality of God's presence. Jesus' friend Lazarus became ill (see John, chap. 11). When Jesus heard of the illness, he seemed undisturbed. The Bible tells us that he said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (verse 4). We can be sure that Jesus had complete confidence that God was in control of the situation. Jesus must have known that Lazarus was safe in God's all-embracing care. As the account continues, Jesus traveled to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, only to find that his friend had been dead and buried for four days.

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