Messages from the Heart— Loosened and Let Go

Loosened and Let Go

"Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." John 11:44 (KJV)

Recently, while reflecting on the story of Lazarus in John 11, one phrase stood out to me in a way I had never noticed before. Most of us know the story. Lazarus became sick, and Mary and Martha sent for Jesus. Yet Jesus did not immediately come. By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. From Martha and Mary's perspective, Jesus seemed late. Have you ever felt that way?

Maybe you've prayed for healing, restoration, direction, or breakthrough and wondered why God hasn't moved yet. Maybe you've asked, "Lord, where are You?" or "Why haven't You answered?" Yet before Jesus ever arrived at the tomb, He declared that this situation would be for the glory of God (John 11:4).

What looked like a delay was actually setting the stage for a miracle.

How often do we mistake God's timing for God's absence? The truth is that God is never late. While we see the pain of the present moment, He sees the greater purpose. He is often working in ways we cannot understand so that His glory can be revealed through our circumstances.

When Jesus finally arrived, Martha told Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Yet even in her grief, she proclaimed her faith, declaring that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. Then Jesus made one of the most powerful statements in Scripture:

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25)

This is the hope of the Gospel. Through Christ, we have the promise of eternal life and the assurance that death does not have the final word.

When Jesus stood before the tomb, He called out with a loud voice: "Lazarus, come forth." And Lazarus walked out. Alive. Restore d. Raised from the dead. But the story doesn't end there.

Scripture tells us that Lazarus came out of the tomb still wrapped in grave clothes. Then Jesus gave this command: "Loose him, and let him go." Those words have remained heavy on my heart.

Lazarus had been brought back to life, but he was still wearing what belonged in the grave. How many of us are doing the same thing? We have received Christ. We have been forgiven. We have been made new. Yet we continue carrying things Jesus has already paid for.

We hold onto shame.

We hold onto guilt.

We hold onto fear.

We hold onto regret.

We hold onto unforgiveness.

We hold onto anxiety, disappointment, control, or old wounds that continue to define us.

Jesus has already loosened so much of what we are still trying to carry.

The enemy would love to convince us that we are still bound, still defeated, still enslaved by our past. But the cross tells a different story. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus broke the power of sin and made a way for us to walk in freedom. That doesn't mean life will be easy. It doesn't mean trials won't come. But it does mean we don't have to carry what Jesus never intended for us to keep carrying.

Recently, I found myself praying and asking the Lord if there was anything in my own life that I was still holding onto. The answer was yes. Sometimes we surrender something at Jesus's feet, only to turn around and pick it back up. Sometimes we cling to expectations. Sometimes we cling to outcomes. Sometimes we cling to pain, fear, or control because they have become familiar. But Jesus is continually inviting us to trust Him more deeply.

Today, I want to encourage you to ask yourself this simple question:

What has Jesus already loosened that I am still holding onto?

Whatever comes to mind, bring it to Him.

Lay it at His feet.

Trust His grace.

Trust His goodness.

Trust His timing.

And trust that the same Savior who called Lazarus out of the tomb is still calling His people into freedom today.

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