Coming Apart

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%206:31&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:23&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2030:15&version=NIV1984

Coming apart.  We’ve all heard the phrase before.  Depending upon the circumstances, it can refer to many different things.  Such as an article of clothing.  When the stitching starts to unravel, it begins to come apart.  Slowly at first.  Until it gets to the point where it is unmendable.  Then there are vehicles.  Who in their lifetime hasn’t driven one that started coming apart?  The CD player stopped working.  The rear view mirror fell off.  The bumper was attached by duct tape.  Trim magically disappeared from the exterior.  A door handle came completely off.  Yes, those were the days!

Of course, ‘coming apart’ isn’t just related to objects.  People ‘come apart’ too.  This could involve a slow, steady decline.  Such as a person who is caught in an addiction.  Little by little, their lives spiral downward.  Late for work.  Or missing entire days.  A traffic ticket.  A DUI.  Relationships that begin to become strained.  Suspicions.  Bouts of anger or depression.  Getting fired.  Dropping out.  A divorce.  Boy can it get ugly after a while.

 

Then there are those individuals who seem to come apart suddenly.  The causes are varied.  An accident.  An unplanned pregnancy.  A cancer diagnosis.  The discovery of an affair.  The loss of a job.  The loss of a loved one.  Suddenly this once stable person can no longer function.  They can’t work.  They can’t make decisions.  Or at least good ones.  They start to engage in irrational or impulsive behavior.  Pretty soon they have crashed and burned.  Once again, not a pretty sight. 

Of course, as Christians, we are not immune to this.  Bad things happen to us just like anyone else.  And, truth be told, sometimes the spiritual aspect of our lives is what causes us to come apart.  Conflict with other believers.  Church splits.  Feelings of never being able to measure up.  Never being accepted by God.  Burning ourselves out in ministry.  The sad truth is that every day thousands of Christians are coming apart.  This is sad because it doesn’t have to be this way.

As Christians, we have divine resources at our disposal that the world doesn’t have.  And these resources are found in God.  We received them when we put our faith in Jesus.  And the way that we access these resources is by spending time with God.  I don’t know who originated it but someone once wrote, “If you don’t come apart, you will come apart.”  How true.  How true.  The key to keep from coming apart in the world is for us to come apart from the world.  From the hecticness and busyness of our daily lives.  From the stress and strain of life.  And spend time with God.  Reading the Bible.  In prayer.  In worship.

Jesus modeled this.  Several times we are told that He got up very early in the morning to pray.  By Himself.  Another time He spent a late evening in prayer.  By Himself.  He did this because the demands of ministry were heavy.  He did this so that He could find out what His Father’s will was for the days ahead.  Then, on the night before Jesus was crucified, He left the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem behind.  And went to the Garden of Gethsemane.  A quiet place.  A place where He could be alone with His Father.  And receive strength for the road ahead.  Not only did Jesus come apart Himself, He taught His disciples the same concept.  Be with people.  Minister to them.  But don’t burn out.  Come apart and rest.  Come apart and spend time with God.

This is a message that we, as Christians, need to take to heart.  In the new millennium it is increasingly difficult to come apart from the world.  Why?  Cell phones.  Computers.  TV’s.  Work.  People.  All of these things constantly clamor for our attention.  They demand our time.  And unfortunately, we give it to them.  What is even worse, is that many Christians don’t even see the need or value of coming apart!  But if Jesus, the Son of God, needed to come apart regularly to be with God in order to meet the demands of life and ministry, how much more do we?

So let’s not kid ourselves that we are better than Jesus.  Let’s resolve that we will regularly come apart to be with God.  If we do, we will find that we won’t have to worry about coming apart.

Lord, it is so easy in our culture to fall into the trap of being busy, busy, busy.  It is exciting.  Stimulating.  Affirming.  And dangerous.  How sad it is that we are guilty of being available to others 24/7 but not to You.  Help me to come apart on a regular basis.  To make spending time with You a priority.  A part of my day that I look forward to.  A part of my day that positively impacts the rest of my day.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Work And Stress - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204:11-12&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I%20COr%2010:31&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2026:3&version=NIV

To continue with yesterday’s post concerning stress at the work place, if we don’t like our current job and find it too stressful, there are basically 2 solutions (other than retiring or quitting).

One, find a different job.  One that better matches your temperament and skills.  One that God may be calling you to.  In my own life, I have worked at a number of jobs over the years.  Not having a college education, I simply took whatever job was available.  So I have worked in a grocery store, a car battery manufacturing plant, a paper mill (where I worked production, maintenance and later management), a large retail store, a fast-food restaurant, a small wholesaler, a warehouse and a college.  Quite the variety I would say.  While I did good work in each place, the truth is that I didn’t always like what I was doing.  I don’t know how it is with you ladies, but when a man doesn’t like his job it is huge.  All during this time I wanted to go into ministry.  But God’s timing wasn’t right.  And I had some misconceptions about what it meant to be ‘called’ to ministry.  Finally, Beth & I ended up selling our house, moving far away from family and friends, so that I could go to Bible college.  Then I came to the C&MA church here in Kalispell, MT.  In August that will be 20 years ago.  After all those jobs, in all those years, I am finally doing what God created me to do.  And God is blessing.

So if you are not happy with your present job then you may want to pray about it.  Is this where God wants you?  Or does He want you to take another job?  If so, which one?  The point is that if God is leading you to another job He will provide one for you.  Of course, changing jobs can sometimes be stressful in and of itself.  Which is part of the reason why I think that some people stay in jobs they don’t necessarily like.  The pay is too good.  The benefits are too good.  And the risk is too great.  So they end up continuing to be miserable - feeling that they are wasting their life.  And they end up missing God’s will for their lives in the process.

Two, (and the solution that few people want to hear), is to make the best of where you are.  I told you that you wouldn’t like it!  “I don’t think that I can work there one more day let alone years!”, you say.  That is the human part of you talking.  Pardon me, but where is God in all of this?  “God?  What does God have to do with my job?”  Hmm, let me see - everything!  If I’m not mistaken God gave you that job.  “No, my brother-in-law helped me get that job”, you reply.  I say, “No, God gave you that job.  He just happened to use your brother-in-law to get it.”  See the difference? 

So, if God gave you the job that you have, then He must have a purpose for you in it, right?  I mean, God doesn’t do anything without a reason.  So ask God to show you what His purpose is for you in your present job.  The answer just might surprise you!  Perhaps there is a co-worker who needs to hear the Gospel.  Or that needs encouraging.  Perhaps there is a boss who needs to see how a true Christian acts and lives.  Maybe God is providing you with some valuable training for the future.  Ever think of that?  That’s what God did in my life.  Remember all those jobs that I had earlier in my life?  God was involved in each one of them.  He not only helped me to influence people for Him, He helped me gain some valuable skills and experience that He knew I would need for the ministry.

Of course, it goes without saying that having a good attitude is very important to reducing stress in our jobs.  And finding fulfillment in them.  The fact is that 2 people can be working side-by-side in the same job and one be happy while the other is miserable.  What’s the difference?  Attitude!  And who can help us with our attitude?  Oh yeah, God again!  He just keeps showing up all over the place, doesn’t He?

So if your job is stressful, take a few moments and think about it.  Is God trying to tell you something?  Is a job-change or a career-change in order?  Or is He refining your character - helping you to learn such things as patience, trust, and self-control?  And just exactly what is God’s purpose in your present job?  What is His plan for you?  Considering aspects such as these help us to partner with God instead of working against Him - by complaining and just blindly reacting.  Stay or go, God wants you to enjoy your work.  And to be a witness for Him!

Lord, I thank you for the job I now have - being a pastor to Your people.  It was a long time coming!  Thank you for the way that You prepared me through all those other jobs.  Help me to deal with the stress of ministry with Your strength and wisdom.  And to do my work for Your glory.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Work And Stress - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eccl%202:18-23&version=NIV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex%2018:18&version=NIV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen%202:15&version=NIV

In October 2011 an article happened to catch my eye on the Internet.  It was about stress and jobs.  According to the website www.RandomHistory.com, in 2009 the most stressful jobs in America were: surgeon, commercial airline pilot, photojournalist, advertising account executive, and real estate agent.  I can certainly see how these jobs are stressful.  Especially a surgeon.  Operating on people day in and day out.  Always running into a different set of circumstances.  Knowing that one, tiny mistake could adversely affect a patient’s health.  Or potentially their life.  Knowing that at any time, even years later, you could be the target of a lawsuit.  Yes, I would call that stress.  Maybe even mega-stress.  I’m sure that the other jobs have their own unique stresses as well.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the least stressful jobs in America were: actuary, dietitian, astronomer, systems analyst, and software engineer.  Once again, I have no qualms with their selection.  An actuary, from what I understand, is basically an estimator.  It is their job to evaluate potential risk and what it may cost.  As such, actuaries work almost exclusively in the insurance industry - creating actuarial tables for all kind of events and conditions.  So, yeah, I would say that it is a pretty low-stress job.  One thing I would say is that I don’t see ‘mattress tester’ on the list of least stressful jobs.

Stress and work.  It’s hard to have one without the other.  Of course, some jobs are naturally more stressful than others as the above survey indicates.  I mean being a surgeon has to be much more stressful than working at a doughnut shop.  But there are also other factors that determine whether a job is high stress or not.  Such as temperament.  One person enjoys being a chef and relishes (a pun!) the busyness and demands of cooking for others.  Another person hates all the pressure associated with it and feels stressed the entire time.  Other factors that determine a particular job’s stress level would be - the condition of equipment (there’s a huge difference in working with state-of-the-art equipment and equipment that is antiquated or keeps breaking down), working conditions (clean, spacious & bright as opposed to dirty, cramped & dim), co-workers, management style, etc.

The result of all this is that some people really love their job.  Rather than being stressful it actually inspires and energizes them.  They go home from work in a good mood and enjoy life.  Other people despise their job.  It is highly stressful, they see no value in it other than the fact that they are getting a paycheck, and they can’t wait to go home.  These people can end up going home in a bad mood, making their leisure time a lot less enjoyable.

So where am I going with all of this?  Since we spend so much time at our jobs, we should try finding ones that we enjoy.  Jobs where we can manage the stress.  There is nothing worse that hating one’s job.  Of being so stressed that you count the minutes every single day.  I read a few years ago that as many as 80% of Americans don’t like their job.  Probably for the variety of reasons mentioned earlier.  There are only 2 solutions to this.  These solutions I will share in tomorrow’s post.

Lord, I thank you for the many jobs that You have provided me over the years.  Jobs that not only helped me pay the bills and put food on the table, but jobs that stretched me.  Got me out of my comfort zone.  Caused me to rely upon You.  Also thank you for helping during those times when I was stressed out.  I never crumbled or cracked.  Because You were there.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Words Not In God's Vocabulary - Emergency

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb%204:13&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jer%2032:17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps46:1-3&version=NIV1984

Emergency.  What do you think of when you see or hear the word?  It probably depends on the emergency, doesn’t it?  Most likely we think of an accident in which someone has been seriously injured.  An automobile accident.  An industrial accident.  A fall at home.  Or we might think of someone having a medical emergency.  Such as a heart attack.  Or a stroke.  Or diabetic shock.  Then again, an emergency could be a potentially dangerous situation.  A gunman on the loose.  A natural gas leak.  A severe thunderstorm.  

Emergencies can also consist of something a little more individual.  A teenager who hasn’t come home at night.  And who is not answering their cell phone.  A child who is sick with a very high temperature.  A huge fight between a couple that is threatening to become physical.  Then there are the smaller-scale emergencies.  Forgetting an important business meeting.  Forgetting one’s homework.  Forgetting one’s anniversary!  The fact is that emergencies come in all shapes and sizes - from small to large, from individual to worldwide.

So what does the word emergency imply?  Well I can’t say that I am an authority on this subject but after thinking about it, three words come to mind.  The first is sudden.  Or unexpected.  One moment everything is going great, the next moment it is not.  The second word that I think of is negative.  Emergencies are never good are they?  Certainly emergency situations can have a positive outcome but the fact that there are such things as emergencies in the first place is not good.  The third word I think of in connection with an emergency is out of control.  (OK, so it’s 3 words.  Beat me up already.)  An emergency is something beyond the normal or routine.  It is a situation that needs immediate attention because something is out of control.  The weather.  Someone’s health.  People.  Whatever.

As humans, we are fairly conditioned to emergencies, aren’t we?  At least we are conditioned to the potential for emergencies.  How we handle them is another story.  We live in a day and age of 911 calls.  And Emergency Rooms at every hospital.  We have people such as EMT’s and Law Enforcement personnel who respond quickly to emergencies.  We have Emergency Management Teams.  And the Emergency Broadcast System.  ‘Emergency’ landings.  And every now and then even a ‘state of emergency’.  And every person and family experiences minor emergencies from time to time.  Along with a couple major ones here and there.  The fact is that we are familiar with emergencies.  They happen all the time in our culture.  We never know when or where we are going to be caught up in one.  The reason why is that we are human.

The fact is that ‘emergency’ is not a word in God’s vocabulary.  Figuratively speaking, He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.  There has never been and never will be an emergency in Heaven.  For, as we have seen, emergency implies sudden, negative and out of control, all things which are beyond the scope of God.  The fact is that God has everything in control.  All of the time.  There is never a situation that surprises Him for He knows everything that is going to happen before it happens.  Even such events as the fall of Satan and the fall of humankind into sin were not emergencies.  God already knew they were going to happen.  And He knew what the outcome was going to be.  They were all a part of His plan.  Remember, God is always in control.

So don’t plan on seeing any ‘emergency’ exits in Heaven.  Or phones on which to dial 911.  Or alarm systems.  Or any kind of emergency drills or planning.  Because there will never be an emergency.  Which is good news for us, isn’t it?  While we never know what the next moment may bring, God does.  While we never know how we may respond, God does.  So what may well be an emergency for us is not to Him.  This is good for us to know.  When emergencies strike, God already knows.  It may have surprised us but not Him.  It may overwhelm us but not Him.  It might bring us to the end of our resources but not His.  God is always calm, cool and collected.  He knows exactly what to do in every emergency.  And He has told us (Romans 8:28) that every emergency will work out for our good.

So the next time that you see the word ‘emergency’ realize that it is strictly a human word.  God never experiences them.  And He will be with us in the midst of ours.

Lord, I thank you that you never have an emergency situation to deal with.  Ever.  You have everything under control.  All the time.  Even when emergencies happen in my life You already knew they were coming.  And You have a plan for how they are going to work out.  For my good.  And Your glory.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

A Modern-Day Zacchaeus

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019:1-10&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor%205:17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%203:8&version=NIV1984

“Good things come in small packages.”  That is how the saying goes.  Ask any woman who’s received a diamond and she would probably agree.  A couple weeks ago I came upon a ‘small’ story.  It’s about the world’s shortest man.  That’s right.  In an era of 7'+ NBA players the world’s smallest man has garnered some attention of his own.

The man’s name is Chandra Bahadur Dangi.  Ironically he lives in Nepal.  I say ironically because Nepal is also home to Mt Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.  So Nepal has the distinction of having both the world’s highest mountain and the shortest man.  Talk about a study in contrasts.  Dangi is 72 and has 5 brothers and 2 sisters who are normal-sized.  I guess you could say that when Dangi was born he came up a little short!  (I can’t help myself!)  A couple weeks ago Dangi was officially measured by the Guinness Book of World Records.  Dangi’s height?  21 ½ inches.  That’s right.  Less than 2 feet tall!  You can see his actual size next to the frame that certifies his official standing with Guinness.  Note, however, that he is squatting in the picture.  Dangi is relishing his new-found fame and hopes to travel around the world, bringing attention and pride to his native country of Nepal.  Interestingly, Nepal is also home to a former holder of The World’s Shortest Man, Khagnedra Thapa Magar, who held the record until June 2011.  Magar, 18 at the time, stood all of 26.4 inches tall.

Of course, on seeing this news story I couldn’t help but think of Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho at the time of Jesus.  One day Jesus was passing through Jericho and Zacchaeus heard about it.  Like everyone else, Zacchaeus wanted to get a glimpse of this great prophet who had performed so many miracles.  The problem was that everyone else in Jericho had also heard about Jesus’ arrival.  The result was that Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd of people.  This may have been a problem for anyone but it was especially a problem for Zacchaeus.  We are told that he was short, or small of stature.  How short, we aren’t told.  I think it’s safe to say that he was taller than Dangi but he was still short enough he couldn’t see Jesus.  So Zacchaeus got an idea.

Running down the road in advance of Jesus, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree.  Now stop and think about that for a moment.  Zacchaeus was not just a tax-collector (people who were fairly well-to-do by collecting taxes from their fellow countrymen for the Romans).  He was a chief tax collector, meaning that he was over other tax collectors.  Which meant that he was even more well-to-do than they were.  In other words, Zacchaeus was rich.  Filthy rich.  And no doubt despised.  Despised and hated by his fellow citizens for working for the enemy.  And for profiting from it greatly.  Now to get to such a position probably required a little time so chances are that Zacchaeus was no young buck.  So here’s this rich, middle-aged guy climbing a tree.  Doesn’t this strike you odd?  I mean rich men don’t climb trees.  They are prim and proper.  They have a reputation to uphold.  I mean, could you see Donald Trump or Ted Turner climbing a tree to get a look at Jesus?  I don’t think so.  Rich guys don’t do these kind of things.  Especially in public.  But Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see Jesus.  And if it meant looking a little foolish in the process, so be it.

Closer and closer Jesus comes until He walks right next to the tree that Zacchaeus is in.  Stopping and looking up at him, Jesus tells Zacchaeus to come down.  He would like to have lunch with him at his house.  Wow.  It’s a wonder that Zacchaeus didn’t fall out of that tree!  Hurriedly he scampered down and then led Jesus to his house.  That brief encounter with Jesus changed Zacchaeus’ life!  He told Jesus that he was going to give half of his possessions to the poor.  And that if he had cheated anyone out of anything (a common practice of tax collectors) he would restore it four-fold to them.  Once again, wow.  This is one of the clearest examples of repentance in the Bible.  No qualifying his sin.  No justifying it.  No excusing it.  Zacchaeus knew what he had done wrong.  And he was determined to make it right.  Even going overboard in the process.  That day Zacchaeus lost a lot of wealth.  But he gained eternal life.  And a great deal of Heavenly wealth.

This is what happens when a person truly meets Jesus.  Their life is totally and radically changed.  You see it is not the size of the person that matters.  It is the size of their heart.  And their willingness to humble themselves and repent.  So, in what ways are our lives different?  What evidence can we point to that we are radically changed?  This is our proof that we have truly met Jesus.  If we don’t have any, then maybe we really don’t know Him after all?

Lord, I thank you for the incredible changes that You have made in my life.  Not only at the moment of conversion but in the years since.  I am no longer who I was.  I am in the process of becoming who You created me to be.  I pray that my life will reflect Your power and inspire others to seek You out as well.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Say It Again Sam

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Heb%2012:1&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%209:24-27&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy+4:7&version=NIV1984

This morning we had Sam Zug, Executive Director of Dickey Lake Bible Camp, speak at our church.  He brought along his display of the camp and also showed a DVD of this past years’ camp ministry.  In addition, he also brought the morning message.  His sermon was based upon Hebrews 12:1.  If you are familiar with that verse (you can view it in the link above if you aren’t) it is about running.

I don’t know if it’s popular where you live, but it seems that running has become very popular here the past couple decades.  During the spring and summer there are all kinds of weekend races that people can enter.  Most are 5K (3 miles) and 10K (6 miles).  These are races that the average person can enter and complete.  Of course, if you want to, you can even walk that distance.  You don’t have to run it.  Then there are half-marathons.  These are a little more challenging and are usually reserved for the more serious runners.  At this point I know 4 or 5 people who have started running these the past few years.  And they usually go some distance to do so.  Traveling to Southern California or Arizona.  Personally, I think it’s just an excuse to enjoy some warm weather in the middle of winter!  Then there is the traditional marathon, 26.2 miles.  That has become the ultimate bench mark for many runners.  This is a race that is reserved for only the most dedicated of runners.  I don’t think any ‘weekend’ warriors would consider entering.  And that is good because I doubt that they would finish.

In Sam’s sermon he brought out how the writer of Hebrews viewed life as a race.  I know that the Apostle Paul used that same analogy on several occasions.  And it’s a good analogy.  Every  runner has a goal - to reach the finish line.  One thing is certain, you can’t hope to win any race (from 100 meters to a marathon) if you don’t finish.  Now depending upon your skill level and conditioning, an important aspect of running is perseverance.  Years ago when I took up running, I would run 3 miles a day.  Now you have to understand that I really don’t enjoy running.  At all.  I can think of a hundred better ways to get exercise.  So to run 3 miles I had to make up my mind ahead of time that I was going to run that far.  It didn’t matter whether I got a case of ‘side aches’, my legs hurt, or I was out of breath.  I was determined to run my pre-determined distance and didn’t stop until I had reached it.  (This is where being strong-willed can really comes in handy!) 

Well perseverance is also a necessary ingredient of running the race of life.  As any one who has lived very long knows, life has all kinds of obstacles.  If we are not careful, we can bogged down by them.  And possibly even give up.  I see a number of Christians who have done this.  Somewhere along the way something happened (a divorce, loss of a job, a bad church experience) and they quit running.  They gave up and headed for the sideline.  They didn’t finish the race.  That is so sad.  So perseverance, or running ‘with endurance’ as Hebrews 12:1 puts it, is a necessary ingredient to finish the race of life.  And to finish it well.  That perseverance comes from a determination that nothing is going to come between us and our relationship with Jesus.  That we are going to live for Him, and put our trust in Him, no matter what.

One of the quotes about life and racing that many people are familiar with is that ‘life is a marathon, not a sprint’.  This is so true.  I have seen many people start well and a few years later they are no longer in the race.  It takes perseverance to keep living for Jesus year after year.  Through triumph and tragedy.  Through all of the seasons of life.  But it can be done.  That should be our goal.  And nothing less.  The good news is that Jesus has promised to be with us every step of the way.  He will strengthen us.  He will show us how to get around, over and through the obstacles of life.  And when we finally reach the finish line, we can hear Him say, “Well done!”  That’s what I want for my life.  And I trust it’s what you want as well.

Lord, I thank you that, at this point in my life, I have been in the race for many years.  You and I have covered a lot of ground during this time.  Help me to persevere.  To run with endurance the course that You have set before me.  May I finish well.  And be an inspiration and encouragement to others.  And someday hear you say, “Well done!”  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jesus Stops A Funeral - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%207:11-17&version=NIV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+30:5&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2030:11&version=NIV1984

Picking up where we left off in yesterday’s post, and the funeral of a young man from the village of Nain found in Luke 7.

As Jesus and His disciples came closer to the funeral procession Luke tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion.  His heart went out to her.  Pain.  Sorrow.  Grief.  Being a ‘man of sorrows’ Himself, Jesus understood exactly what the widow was feeling.  And He cared.  So He decided to do something.  To step into the situation.  Intersecting the procession, Jesus tenderly spoke to the widow.  “Don’t cry”, He said.  Something in His voice caused her to stop her weeping.  A surge of comfort swept over her soul.

Then Jesus touched the funeral bier and the procession stopped.  I’m not sure that anybody knew what was going to happen next, even Jesus’ disciples.  I think that all of the people present that day thought that Jesus was going to pay His respects.  Perhaps even say a short prayer for the young man.  Instead, Jesus did the unexpected.  He spoke to the dead man.  “Young man, I say to you, get up!”  Wow.  I’ll bet no one there had ever heard or seen such a thing before!  But before they could even process what was going on, there was movement on the bier.  The young man was stirring!  In an instant, he sat up.  At this point I can’t imagine that those who were carrying the bier didn’t drop it!  Or faint!  There must have been a collective gasp that went through the entire procession.  And among Jesus’ disciples.  For a couple seconds no one said or did anything.  Then, realizing that the young man was indeed alive, the silence was broken by shouts of happiness.  Astonishment.  Cries of amazement came from the lips of everyone.  And shouts of praise to God! 

Luke tells us that the young man spoke.  We don’t know what he said but I’m sure it was along the lines of, “Hey, what am I doing on this funeral bier?  And why is my mother crying?  And what are all these people doing?  Just exactly what is happening here anyway?”  Then we are told that Jesus gave the woman back her son.  How can a person not cry just thinking about this happy reunion?  Mother and son back together again!  This was beyond anything that the widow could have possibly ever imagined.  Her son was alive!  Things were going to be OK after all.  God did care! 

Again, Luke doesn’t provide us with the details of what happened afterwards but certainly we can conclude that everyone went back into the city.  What a different procession that was.  Laughter.  Joy.  Happiness.  Shouts of praise and thanksgiving to God.  I imagine that Jesus and His disciples  entered the city as well.  Man, was Jesus a hero in the village of Nain that day or what?  No doubt there was a big feast and Jesus and His disciples were treated like royalty.  The entire village was abuzz over the miraculous event that had happened in their midst.  Never had anyone seen anything like this.  God had truly visited His people.  I’m sure that this miracle gave Jesus a great platform from which to speak about the Kingdom of God.  Every ear was listening.  Every heart was attentive.

What are we to take away from this passage?  How about that Jesus is near.  Nearer than we often think.  Can a tear fall from our cheeks that He doesn’t see it?  Can our heart break in two without His knowledge?  Hardly.  Not only is Jesus near, He also cares.  He died on the cross for us.  What else does He have to do to convince us of His love?  Finally, when it comes to Jesus, no situation is hopeless.  No matter how bleak things might presently look, when Jesus arrives He brings hope.  Light.  Life.  No wonder we love Him so!

So whatever situation you currently find yourself in, remember Jesus and the grieving widow.  His heart went out to her.  His heart goes out to you.  He can and will work in your situation.  And when He does you will praise Him.  For He does all things well!

Lord, I admit that there are times when You seem far away.  Times when I don’t think You know what I’m going through.  Worse yet, times when I don’t know if You even care.  Thank you for this wonderful account of how Jesus cared for a desperate, grieving widow.  And how He cares for me.  May I be encouraged today and continue to look to Jesus with faith and hope.  In His name, Amen.