Luke 7: 12 – 13 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Verses 11 thru 17 of this chapter of Luke paint a picture of loss, pain, destitution and triumph. This was not a time when women had jobs. So to be a widow meant you would be in a financially fragile situation.  If you had a son or sons perhaps it meant that not only would you have physical help with your own chores and crops but, maybe, they would engage in other work to help with day to day expenses. As Jesus approached the scene he quickly summed up the situation and he was able to say to the mother “Don’t cry” because he knew what he would do. He raised the young man back to life. This brought joy to the mother and praise to God from the onlookers.

But what if you face a similar situation and your loved one is dead and gone and you have not found any consolation? You can see no future through your tears. I want to encourage you firstly that God sees you just where you are and knows every detail of your situation. Secondly, you can find comfort in him because he does care. Thirdly, believe in him to make a way for you – trust him. The Holy Spirit would have you know that:

“God knows the human heart. When we grieve, he grieves. He is not removed from our suffering. He has experienced it in full measure therefore he is able to identify with us in our grief. But unlike us he has already overcome. So he stands ready to sustain us and moreover he has sent us the Holy Spirit as the Comforter to minister to each need when things become overwhelming. The secret is to believe that he cares deeply and that you can commune with him even in the depths of your grief. If you can praise him at such times He will come to you and speak peace into your heart.”