Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today, let’s be inspired to recognize nothing is over until God says so.

Today’s scripture, John 11:37-44 (NLT) shares…
[37] But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” [38] Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. [39] “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” [40] Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” [41] So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. [42] You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” [43] Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” [44] And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Consider…
Many of us are familiar with Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. But have you ever thought about what the resurrection reveals about what God thinks of settled odds, also known as game over.

From today’s scripture we see that Jesus brings dead things to life. This means that even when the odds appear 100% against you, Jesus says “it ain’t over until God says it’s over”.

Something else we can see from today’s scripture is that our limited faith doesn’t limit our faithful God from doing what He already planned to do. Mary and Martha were looking for a healing, but Jesus always planned a resurrection. We know that because
John 11:21, 23 (NLT) tells us…
John 11:21, 23 NLT
[21] Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.
[23] Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Like Lazarus’ sisters, sometimes we’re looking to be healed when Jesus wants to resurrect what He allowed to die. That’s because there are things that need to die in our lives in order for Jesus Christ to live. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) explains…
[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Notice, God wants to transform, not reform, us. That’s because according to Oxford Languages…

• Reform means, to make changes in (something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it.
• Whereas transform means, to make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of.

God’s transformation is that He wants our sinful nature to die, so that His Spirit nature can live. Make no mistake, the two natures can’t coexist. Galatians 5:17 (NLT)
explains…
[17] The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

So when it looks like you’re down for the count, or it’s game over, just know, it ain’t over until God says it’s over. And God isn’t trying to redo you, His desire is to make you new.

Another thing, when God raises you to a new life, take your grave clothes off. Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT) says…
[21] Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, [22] throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. [23] Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. [24] Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

The Holy Spirit is emphasizing, God wants to do new things in and through us. That means we have to let the old things die, so that we can live in God’s new.

Wow, the Holy Spirit just gave another understanding of these familiar verses. Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
[22] The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. [23] Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Notice, God’s love is faithful and unending! And His mercies are new every morning. To better appreciate what the Holy Spirit is showing me, let’s read Psalms 30:5 (NLT), which says…
[5] For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

You see, in the Lamentations verses, God is saying I am not focused on what happened last night, instead I am interested in setting you up to thrive in a new day.

This makes me think of something I heard about the reason rear-view mirrors are small and windshields are large. It is because where we’re going is more important than where we’ve been.

God wants to take us into the new with Him, but that requires us to leave the old behind.

This prompted another thought, which comes from 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)…
[9] The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

This means that as long as that person you’re praying for is still breathing, the Lord is saying, “it ain’t over until God says it’s over!”. So keep praying and believing. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

In closing, the Holy Spirit showed me that God’s faithful new mercies promised in Lamentations 3:23 are meant to inspire us to declare Lamentations 3:24 (NLT), which says…
[24] I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

No matter what the game clock and scoreboard say, God says you always win when your hope is in, and for Him!

Never give up on God, because it ain’t over until He says so.

Today’s Song is…
It Ain’t Over

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)