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When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Luke 7:13
A young man lies in a hospital bed fighting for his life as the result of a gunshot to the head. The community and surrounding area hold vigils for his healing. Prayer meetings are held in coffee shops, restaurants and churches. Television news trucks are parked outside the hospital waiting for word on the fight for life.
Inside, a young mom holds vigil over the bed of her husband and the father of her three young children. She cries. She tries to be strong, but can’t. She prays harder than she’s ever prayed before. Minutes stretch into hours and hours stretch into days. Well wishers look for any indication that there is improvement, and sign of hope, but there would be none.
Somewhere near by another mom suffers in silence. Her son was the one who fired the shot. She is the one sitting at a funeral of her little boy who died of a self-inflicted gunshot. Once a hero, now maligned as a vicious offender, this mom suffers in silence. Heartbroken over the death of her son, yet ashamed of his actions, she tries to block out the voices she hears. She avoids being in public because of the stares. Even the few, sincere condolences she receives do little to heal her own pain, not to mention the pain she feels for the other young mom in the hospital holding vigil.
The story in Luke has a much happier ending. This mom, unlike the other two would receive back her loved one. We really know little about her, or the life she lived. We know she was a widow. We know she’d just lost her only son. How old was he? Some versions of the bible say a man, some a boy. Most likely he was a teenager.
Jesus didn’t see the crowd of mourners. His attention wasn’t focused on the stretcher. Luke tells us that “Jesus saw her…” His attention was riveted on this mom who also had just lost her son, her only son. She was alone now. After her husband died, he’d become the man of the house. It was he who would be her assurance of provision into old age. Now he was gone and she was alone.
There is no grief so deep as the grief of a parent whose lost a child, and that wound is deeper for the one who carried the child in her own bosom, bore that child out of pain and nursed it at her breast.
Three moms, three different outcomes, but one Jesus. Only he can offer the comfort a parent needs when tears are shed over a child. Only he can heal the wounds with the oil of his love, because God knows what it’s like to lose a son. No one, regardless of how sincere, can know the pain of a mom (parent) who has lost a child except Jesus. He looks beyond the externals and sees the heart.
PRAYER: Father God. Today I pray for all those parents, especially mom’s, who have lost a child. I pray that they would be comforted through the comfort only your son Jesus Christ can offer. May your Holy Spirit walk with them through the healing they need during a most difficult time. Amen.
And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever. 1 Peter 5:10 (NCV)
I was at a conference on church leadership a few months back. The keynote speaker had just recently published a new book. In his presentation he told us about some of the struggles that he’d had between his college years and the present.
Then, he and his wife were living in a one room apartment in which they shared the kitchen and bathroom with their landlord. The basement ‘apartment’ smelled bad, they continually battled mold and rodents. It was cold and damp in the winter and cold and damp in the summer.
Now, he’s speaking around the world to executives of some of the most profitable companies in the world. While I have no idea what his financial situation is now, I’m quite sure he’s better off now than in the apartment days. At the end of his presentation he directed the over 200 of us to his table where there were several piles of books. He told us how much the book was and then made a statement that went something like this, “There’s a basket there by the books for the cost of the book. There are order forms in case you’d rather order it later. But if you don’t have the money today, take the book. If you can pay me later, thank you. If you can’t, I remember the ‘apartment days’ and how hard it was to make ends meet. Take the book as a gift from me to you. God Bless!”
With those closing words he left the stage. He’d given a wealth of good information in his presentation, but to me at least, the most powerful words he spoke were at the end because those were the words of grace.
Too many times in our lives we ask ‘Why?’ We do good things with a sincere heart. We pray earnestly and humbly for God to change relationships, improve our business, or heal the disease in a loved one. When he doesn’t respond as we hope we get angry, bitter, and resentful. “What good does it do to serve him when he does this stuff to me?” we say either to others, or inside ourselves.
Think for a moment of the words in 1 Peter 5:10. The “God who gives ALL grace…” Not just some grace. Not limited grace. Not conditional grace. Conditional grace isn’t grace at all because grace by its very nature is unconditional. Peter, the man who denied Jesus knew better than most. God’s grace is given so we might endure. Grace is ours so we can be strengthened, encouraged, lifted up and one day, rewarded. For now, our trials make us stronger so that we may make others stronger in their journey.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. Even though the trials I’m going through are difficult, I thank you for them because I trust you enough to know that these trials will make me stronger so I can strengthen my brother. Forgive me for my grumbling, my worry and my complaining for they are signs of a lack of trust. Empower me to live for you. Amen.
But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NCV
Christmas and Valentine’s Day seem to be the two holidays when stories of love seem to proliferate. Like the age-old story of a young woman who sells her long locks of hair so she can buy her husband a watch chain, only to find, as they open their gifts that he has sold his watch to buy her beautiful combs for her hair.
The story and others like it capture our attention because they show one of the main ways we can show others that we love them. In a word, the story speaks of sacrifice.
Giving up something of value to you for the sake of others is love.
Putting aside your own needs so someone else can have something they want, is love.
Doing what you know is right even when it hurts is love.
Looking at the needs (short and long term) of others instead of your own needs, is love.
Being willing to live in someone else’s world when it is so much different than yours is love.
Joseph showed this kind of love when Mary came to him and told him she was pregnant. He knew he hadn’t had sex with her. He loved her so much that, even though he’d be well within his rights to have her stoned, he chose to marry her. Rather than consummate the marriage in the usual time frame, he waited until the baby was born.
But the greatest love story continues to be the story of Almighty God. He chose to live among his creation in the midst of sin that he couldn’t tolerate. He chose to be born a pauper when he owned the cattle on a 1,000 hills. He chose to be born a helpless, powerless infant when, in reality he held the stars he created in place.
He didn’t come to love a people who would return his love. He knew many would reject him. He didn’t come to love a people who would stand in awe of his power and miracles. He knew they would always just ask for more and then walk away unbelieving. He didn’t come expecting people to love accept him. He knew they would not only reject him, but they would murder him as well! Such amazing love!
But the biggest proof of His love is this, he didn’t come to love me after I changed my ways. His love didn’t come based on my ability or even my desire to change. He came to love me while I’m still sinning. That’s true love.
True love says that no matter how much you hurt me; how much you rob me of my needs being met; how much you ignore my pleas for support and love, I’ll love you enough to die for you.
Jesus died for me knowing I’d fail him and others miserably. He died for you in the midst of your illness, rebellion, disbelief, anger or frustration. Others will fail you. Jesus never will. That’s how he showed you his love.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, during this season of love I’ve been reminded of how much you love me. Still, it’s hard to love others when they hurt me, reject me or fail to meet my needs. It’s so hard to keep giving and get nothing in return, but I guess you know that. Thank you for your unconditional love! Amen.
Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NLT)
It’s amazing to me that as bad as the economy is, spending this Christmas Season has been very, very good for many retailers. Maybe you’ve seen the news reports on TV. Perhaps you’ve noticed, as I have, that the carts people are pushing to the check-out counters are full of high-ticket items such as TV’s, Computers, Video games, and other fancy techno-toys.
I love Christmas. I love to watch the wonder and excitement in the eyes of the kids as they open the boxes and giggle or shout with glee over the gift they’ve been given. I’ve chuckled at the times when the actual toy was set aside and the box it came in became the favorite ‘toy’!
In a few short hours we’ll be attacking the pile of gifts under the tree. There are a few gifts that I’m sure will cause quite a stir. I can’t wait to see the faces of the girls when they open that one particular box. Times are tough, but God has blessed. This Christmas will be a good one.
But with all the tinsel and all the glitter. In the midst of the food and the gifts and the hugs and the thank-you’s. Nothing compares to the first Christmas gift ever given to us, the birth of Jesus Christ.
Every gift opened this year across the world will someday break, become worn out, grow out of style or for some other reason become unusable. Not Jesus! This gift was given to last for eternity. It was given to a person (me) who was the last person on earth to deserve such a gift. It was given to me long before I knew I needed it and in spite of my unworthiness.
A little babe born in a manger, a King come down to show us the way to forgiveness and eternal life. The perfect one who lay down his life so I could live. Ah, Jesus. My Savior. My Lord. My Friend. You have been, you are and you will be the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. There are not enough words in all the languages of the world to express my gratitude for your grace, mercy, forgiveness, patience and love you have given me.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you and praise you for this gift most marvelous gift you have given me. I am so unworthy. I am without words. Alleluia. Amen.
Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. Luke 2:11 (NCV)
Jesus is born! The Messiah! The Savior! The Lord! He’s here! Right now! The promised one!
Can we even really imagine the excitement of that night on a lonely hill outside the small town ofBethlehem? We are told the angels sang, that they announced the birth of the savior. But who else was singing?
Years later when Jesus rode intoJerusalemamong the cheering crowds he was rebuked by the Pharisees and told to keep the crowd from praising him. His response? “If these people keep quiet the rocks themselves will shout out praise!”
Later, Paul would write, in Romans 8:22, that ‘creation groans’ awaiting the salvation that Christ would bring on his return.
So, were just the angels singing that night? Angels, remember, aren’t omniscient. They watched this spectacle unfold like the rest of us. This was their king. This was the one who they tended to in Heaven, now he was gone for a few years to walk among the humans! To mingle with this creation that the Bible tells us was made for him and by him. He was THE Lord!
Did the rocks struggle to contain themselves when the angels sang? Did the sheep in the pasture feel an unexplained joy when they heard the news? Were trees of the field stretching just a little closer to heaven that night as they rejoiced?
In the manger scene we see symbolized around the world, were the animals struggling for position to see this one whom they knew as Lord? Did even they feel something we humans didn’t understand?
This was something new! This was something unheard of! The creator of the world would now walk in his creation. The Lord of the universe left his throne to mingle with the very ones he formed from the dust. The master had returned to his home.
Today as I contemplate this verse I think it was much more than an announcement by an angelic choir. That one night all of creation stood in amazement and awe. The master designer was back to walk physically where he hadn’t walked since the day he created the world. To walk once again, side by side with the sons of Adam and Eve.
This Christmas season let us not lose sight of the awesome miracle that took place that night. The earth rejoiced in his coming. We would never be the same.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. Amongst the glitter and lights, nestled in with the brightly colored packages and the joyful music, as I enjoy the company of those I love. Let me not forget that this night, long ago, would change all of us forever. Thank you that as my creator you also came to be my Lord and Savior. May I never lose sight of your extreme love for me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 