When God Says …
“And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” (Luke 7:11-13 KJV).
These passages provide emphasis of God's grace and favor, highlighting the compassion of the Lord Jesus for the grieving widow that He encounters at the gate on the way to the city of Nain. The word Nain in Hebrew means “pleasant or lovely”, yet it is somewhat ironic for the Lord to encounter a scene of grief at its gate. This woman who is a widow is with her dead son being carried away for burial. She meets the Lord Jesus in her moment of deepest sorrow, giving us the knowledge that God is always present with those that suffer. He is giving comfort and healing wherever we are at. It is by His grace and unmerited favor, not our effort of perfection, we encounter Him as this widow has.
The Lord Jesus, seeing the widow, draws in with compassion and says to her "Don't cry". This shows God's empathy and direct involvement in our personal suffering. The Lord’s response to the widow's sad state was not because she had done something perfectly right, but due to her need. And He was ready full of grace. God deals with us by the new covenant of grace, not by the notable things we do. He is drawn by the distress we are in that makes us helpless. He does it in our day-to-day encounters with Him at the gate, so to speak. In this moment of reflection to these words we are encountering Him at the gate. This moment of revelation is our gate of encounter. For anyone still sleep walking through the world and mesmerized by religion and worldly enticements, make this day be your day of rebirth. Receive Him, be wrapped by His comfort and be set free!
As believers in Him, born again by faith, in times of distress while navigating through our city of Nain, we are not alone. The Lord Jesus walks with us, and He will bring something beneficial out of the negative situation we go through. By His grace, we go through and not turn around nor stop in the midst. In contrast to the law that came through Moses - a servant, the covenant of "grace and truth" that came through the Lord Jesus Christ - the Son, demonstrates that the gospel of grace provides peace, joy, and hope. As born again children of God like you and I, He sets us free from fear and condemnation. The law which was glorious, holy and perfect was given to a rebellious Israelites to make them realize they needed a savior. For them, who reject grace the law becomes a ministry of death as it is written: “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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