Two-minute read.
“You must believe before you will see,” the pastor said on a balmy February morning in Naples, Florida.
While on vacation, we visited his church. As he stepped onto the stage, he prayed for healing over the congregation.
“Now, when you walk out those doors, you may not feel different,” he said, scanning the large auditorium, his hand extended toward the crowd. “You may have doubts. That’s when you remind yourself—God is still working. Healing will come.”
As I left the service, I felt unsettled. Part of his message bordered on what some call the prosperity gospel—the idea that God primarily wants to make believers materially wealthy and physically healthy. Scripture doesn’t support that. Jesus Himself said we would have trouble in this world (John 16:33).
And yet… he did speak truth about healing.
We may not experience complete healing on this side of heaven, but we will experience it when the Lord calls us home and we live in His glory. Healing will come—in God’s timing and in God’s way.
When Jesus spoke these words in John 11:40, He stood before Martha, who grieved the loss of her brother, Lazarus. Christ didn’t rebuke her. Instead, He gently reminded her that she could trust Him—even in the middle of loss, before she saw the outcome.
Jesus refers to the “glory” visible in the power and work of God. In just a few moments, Martha would witness what she could not yet see.
But first—she had to believe.
Then she would see the miracle.
Lazarus, raised from the dead.
Jesus teaches us something profound in this moment: belief often comes before breakthrough. We don’t believe because we see—we see because we believe.
And notice this—Jesus didn’t rush Martha past her grief. He met her in it, and then invited her to trust Him anyway.
Faith grows in moments such as this.
Right now, I’m walking through a situation that has left me disappointed and hurt. As I process it, I’m choosing to trust Jesus. I don’t understand why it happened or what purpose it serves—but I trust that God does. And I trust that He will use it for good for those who love Him and place their faith in Him.
What I cannot see, the Savior can.
Martha couldn’t imagine Lazarus breathing again. Her humanity couldn’t process it. But God knew—and He invited her to trust Him anyway. And when she did, she witnessed a miracle.
Without hard days, we wouldn’t recognize the good ones. Without hardship, we wouldn’t long for miracles. And without belief, we may miss God’s work.
So believe—even before you see.
Journal Questions:
Where do I need to believe to see God’s glory?
Describe a time you believed before you saw.
What miracle do you want to see happen today?
Application:
Expect God’s glory in small ways today.
