Skip to main content

"Don't cry" Luke 7:13

Hanging out with Jesus as I promised, I came face to face with His heart of compassion today. In Luke 7, Jesus had just healed the slave of a Roman Officer. "Soon after Jesus went with his disciples to the next village." Luke 7:11
Jesus did not waste time, He was purposeful and intentional.
A funeral procession was coming out.
He was at the right place at the right time.
We are told that the young man who had died was a widow's only son. The widow had lost everything.
"When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion.
“Don’t cry!” he said." Luke 7:13(NLT)
I was so struck with Jesus' heart of compassion for the widow. Possibly the woman was so deep in her grief that she had not even noticed that Jesus was at the village gate. The Word does not mention that she appealed to Him. Jesus' "heart broke" (The Message) to see her grief. He was so moved that He raised her son to life and presented him to her.
 He alone has power and dominion over death. He alone can raise the dead to life.
What a beautiful picture of My Lord's compassion and saving grace. Unmerited, unearned favour, out of the sheer goodness of His Heart.
Dear Reader are you in the pit of despair? Are you feeling alone and helpless, forgotten, abandoned? Know that He knows and He cares for you and He says "Don't cry."
He loves you and like He said to the young man, He is saying: "Arise"
He is holding His hand out to you. "Don't cry", "Arise" from your sin, sorrow and despair.

Today is/was/would have been my/our (do not know how to say it right) 30th wedding anniversary. Another first. One thing is pretty clear - God has not forgotten these firsts. As I read His words "don't cry" I sensed His gaze upon me. He not only comforted me, He strengthened me. He was at the right pace at the right. He sent me strong reminders of His love, my girls pampered me, He sent me friends who encouraged me, who lavished me with love and prayed for me and cheered me on - I feel overwhelmed with His love - completely unworthy of it all. Thank you Lord for your compassion and grace.

 

Comments

  1. nandini23 January 2014 at 22:51

    thank you Joslyn, this is inspiring and from the heart

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown25 January 2014 at 06:11

    My heart sings that you have such wonderful loving girls and caring friends who are encouraging you with prayer and God's Word. Wished I lived closer. Praying for you friend when God brings you to mind....

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" Three days after Julius went home to the Lord, God had given me a promise. He had spoken to me from Psalm 77. Just like He had moved the nation of Israel, He was going to make a way through the deep waters of suffering that I was in. A way that I could not see, a way that I had to trust. I had to make a choice to move forward and believe that the waters would not drown me. (Is 43:2).  I had to believe Him. It is one year and 9 months and there are days even now when the waters seem to overwhelm and there are days when I see a glimpse of the path ahead. Through the prophet Isaiah He says: 'Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness...
5 comments
Read more

A Letter to My Grandson on His First Birthday

  My darling Baby D, Today is the twentieth anniversary of an event that changed the world forever.  This event that we call 9/11 is in your history books but it is a reality that I share with you. So much more has happened to this world since then. 2020 was the year of the pandemic - this time your reality more than mine. You actually got the dreaded covid bug. It has been a year and some of isolation, masks, vaccines and fear all around us.  Each new day makes our reality uncertain and changing all the time. And yet for me this is a day of hope. 9/11 of 2020 is what I will call it. I had prayed for over five years - sometimes fervently, sometimes desperately, sometimes, honestly not at all. I often got tired of waiting but my weak faith was not going to stop God’s plan.  A year has gone by and I have watched you grow from the tiny fragile little baby, to a  boy who cannot sit still. Oh what joy you bring to my heart. I love your welcome at the condo and yo...
2 comments
Read more

Thankful

Another first... Last year we had my Papa and Julius at the dinner table. Couple of weeks later my Dad passed away - slipped away in his sleep. Six months later Julius was gone to heaven. To be honest I have asked God "What are you thinking God?" "How do you expect me to move on with so much loss and grief?" And "What is coming next?" I confess that none of these questions are answered because they are not worthy to be asked. God is Sovereign, He is Creator and He is in control and I am so comforted by His Word. In the book of Job I read: But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?      What he desires, that he does. 14  For he will complete what he appoints for me,      and many such things are in his mind . Job 23:13-14. And again in Lamentations 3 For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32  but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;  33  for he doe...
3 comments
Read more