We don’t get the devotion posted every morning, but that doesn’t mean that you have to miss out: access a high-quality scan of the BFP here and follow along. If you don’t know what week it is in the old church calendar that Laache used, you can check the date here.

Lord Jesus, reveal to us thy glory. Amen.

John 11, 39-45. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him. Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

❦

These are the words of omnipotence which Jesus speaks: “La­zarus, come forth!” Nothing can resist them. The body of Lazarus had by this time lain in the grave four days, and decomposition had begun; but in obedience to the Lord’s command the soul returned, death retreated, and the body was again quickened. He speaks to the dead, and awakes him as out of sleep. God, who gave life, has power to take it away, and power to give it anew; and this power he has given to his Son. From everlasting the Son is with the Father, and equally omnipotent; but in his state of humiliation he has left the use of his omnipotence in the hands of the Father, and asks the Father’s consent to every miracle. His will always coincides with the will of the Father; for which reason his prayer always is answered. By this obedience unto death the Son of Man has received the “utter­ most parts of the earth for his possession,” and shall on the last day awake us all from the dead. My brother who has fallen asleep in the Lord shall, as well as the dead brother of Martha, hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth before my very eyes. Or, if I also die before the coming of the Lord, I shall myself be awakened by this voice, and the angels shall be my servants. — “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” With these words Jesus sustained Martha when she was about to sink; her faith was victorious, and she saw the Son of God glorified. Could we also but believe, we should see his glory! We would in faith ask of him new life for one another, spiritual revivals through the name of Jesus. We would see that it is the word of the Lord which brings about everything great and good on earth; and we would see that the graves of the faithful are chambers in which to sleep, and that their decomposing bodies are seed springing forth to the glorious harvest of the great day. Thank God, our struggling faith shall obtain victory through his grace, and all our sickness shall make for the honor of God; for sorrow and death must flee before the voice of our Lord Jesus.

Lord, we pray thee, increase our faith, and make us to see thy glory. This we beseech of thee: Give us thy Spirit, strengthen our weak faith, and open our eyes to see thy glory. Amen.

These eyes shall see him in that day,
The Lord that died for me:
And all my rising bones shall say,
Lord, who is like to thee!

It such the views which grace unfolds,
Weak as it is below,
What raptures must the Church above
In Jesus’ presence know!