Do you sometimes feel as though you are all alone in this world with your problems and pains? Not many of us would be strangers to such. We may have found ourselves surrounded by circumstances that make us look at life as though we have come to a dead end. At those times we all would like someone to walk into our lives and give some life to these dead issues.
There was a woman in the Bible who had lost her husband and then her son; she had no way to sustain herself. What Jesus did for her, is what He wants to do for you. What makes a person eligible to receive such help from God?
In Luke 7:1-17, we have an account of the incident with this woman, along with one of a man who received help from Jesus. Like they, you and I may receive help from Him. They display two requirements that we need to have—faith and humility.
The man is called a centurion for he was a military officer in charge of 100 soldiers. He was not a Jew, but a person who demonstrated faith in Jesus. His faith was evident in his request for and expectation of help from Jesus. He said to Jesus, “. . . say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
Likewise, if we accept the words of God to order our lives, we will receive from Him. Would you accept His words to bring order to your life? What is your situation into which you desire Him to speak life? You and I need to come to Him in faith—accepting what He says by promptly obeying Him.
Next, the woman, living in the town of Nain, shows us that we need to be humble in our approach to Him. We need to acknowledge that our situation is dead without His intervention. God is ready to do the unusual, the unthinkable (sometimes not readily acceptable), and the impossible for us.
In this woman’s culture, without a husband and now the loss of her only son, she had no means of financial support. As her son was being carried out to be buried, Jesus did the unthinkable—He touched the bier. No one makes himself unclean by touching the dead or anything the dead touches. But, God is not affected by the taboos we have. He wants to do the unusual for us.
Secondly, Jesus did the impossible—He talked to the dead and got an immediate response of compliance. As the Giver of life and the One who interjected Himself into our world to bring us abundant life, He wants to talk to our situation. It is not dead to Him. Would you allow Him to interrupt your funeral procession? He feels your griefs and hears your groanings. He is here to help!
His words breathe life into our lives. His words may be applied to all areas of our existence. Come join us at the Virden Alliance Church. Let us together discover how we may receive the help He offers through His words and His community. We aim to be more than hearers of the word; we will also be doers of the word. As we do this, we will continue to say: “God is taking care of His people.” Simple English Version
