Day 66
Jesus Raises the Widow’s Son at Nain
Our Scripture today is Luke 7:11-17
[11] Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. [12] As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.
[13] When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.” [14] Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!” [15] And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
[16] A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!” [17] And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding region.
Reading this story reminds me:
1- You never know how things will turn out.
In our text, we see a profound instance of Jesus’ compassion and power, illustrating that with God, hope is never lost, even in the most despairing moments. As Jesus approaches the town of Nain, he encounters a funeral procession for the only son of a widow. At the very brink of her despair, Jesus acts, restoring her son to life. This miracle, happening in the nick of time, reminds us to trust in God’s perfect timing, knowing that He is capable of turning our deepest sorrows into joyous celebrations.
2 – God can help when no one else can.
The dead man is the only son of a widow. In the tradition of the ancient Middle East, he was her retirement plan and her breadwinner. Now, her future is gone. I’m sure this was not the main grief in her heart that day, but those who knew her knew what she faced. This poor widow was now to live only on the charity of others. Jesus stepped in and changed everything.
3 – If we open our eyes to the wonderful ways that God helps us, we will say, as the people said, “God has visited His people.”
All who look to God know this feeling. If we don’t see his blessings, then we are spiritually blind. 2 Peter 1:9 says that those who lack spiritual character are “nearsighted to the point of blindness.” If we don’t see God in heaven and only see things of the earth, we, too, are nearsighted to the point of blindness. When the people’s eyes were opened to God’s wondrous deeds, they knew God was among them. He is also among you if you will only see the good things he has done for you.
Lonnie Davis