Look at the world: there's a lot of tragedy. Could it be that God doesn't know what He's doing? I mean, just read John chapter 11. Jesus makes a series of decisions that make no sense. Is it possible for God incarnate to strike out?

News had just reached Him that His dear friend Lazarus was ill. The family of Lazarus sent a message to Jesus in the hopes that He would come to heal him. Jesus decided not to go, and Lazarus died. --Strike one.

Then, after it was too late to help or even to pay respects at the funeral, Jesus finally decided to go visit, even though he was walking into danger. Lazarus' family lived in Bethany, which was just a stone's throw away (pun intended) from Jerusalem, where the Pharisees had just tried to kill him (John 10:31). The disciples didn't see the logic in Jesus' decision. They said to Him, "A short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" (11:8). Bad timing, Jesus. --Strike two.

Then, when Jesus arrives and comforts the mourning family, everyone is upset that the Son of God dropped the ball. Both of Lazarus' sisters remind Him of the good that could have come about had He not blown it: "Lord, if you had been here, my (our) brother would not have died" (11:21, 32). The crowd that had gathered around felt the same, saying, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying" (11:37)?  It seems that everyone knew the right thing to do but Jesus. 

But Jesus was on a roll. In the midst of that grief-stricken crowd, right outside of Lazarus' tomb, Jesus gave the most unexpected command. He told them to open up the grave. "Take away the stone" (11:38). 

Strike three?

You can hear the horror in Martha's voice as she tried to dissuade Jesus from making such a terrible and embarrassing mistake: "But, Lord . . . by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days" (11:39). Nothing against Martha, but don't you hate it when people tell you how to do your job? And yet, we humans find it pretty easy to second-guess God. 

Jesus is determined and says to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God" (11:40)? It seems that a dirty hole full of rotted bones would be a strange place to look for the glory of God. I'd rather go look at a waterfall or a rainbow. But when you face the darkest depths, there you see God's light shine most powerfully.

We know how the story ends. Lazarus comes out of the tomb alive. The people rejoice. And as it turns out, despite all appearances to the contrary, Jesus knew what He was doing. Everyone wanted Jesus to solve the problem the easy way -- by healing Lazarus when he was still alive. True, some grief would have been avoided temporarily had Jesus chosen to do it their way. But a larger specter would have still haunted them: the fear of death.

Doing things Jesus' way expanded their understanding of God: they now knew Him as the Resurrection and the Life. And that deeper understanding of God was more valuable to Jesus than any quick fix He could have given them. He says, "For your sake I am glad I was not there (to heal Lazarus before he died) so that you may believe" (11:14). God doesn't just care about fixing our circumstances; He is also concerned with fixing our thinking and understanding of who He is.

Going through a trial? Don't waste time giving God advice on how to solve it. He knows the situation, He loves you, and He is more than powerful enough to do whatever He wants. Our God is not the God who strikes out. He's the God who hits a home run with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the World Series. Trust in Him, and  look to see what God is showing you about Himself. That understanding of Him is worth more than gold.