God of Compassion
Samuel Wells
As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!".
Luke 7:12-16 ESV
When I read about the compassion Jesus showed the widow, I am reminded of the times Jesus has shown unconditional love for me. As many do, I have had reoccurring struggles with depression and anxiety for the majority of my life. It is an issue that can make a person feel weak, vulnerable, judged, the list goes on!
A truth that I have consistently found in scripture is this: I have a God who not only desires to see me healed of pain, but chooses first to show compassion towards me. He sees us as more than a burden or a problem to fix! Before Jesus did anything else in the story of the widow, the scripture says He had compassion on her. Can you imagine the feelings of the mother? Her only son had passed away. She most likely felt anger, sadness, vulnerability, confusion, and more. Yet here is Jesus, coming to boldly tell her, "Do not weep".
Jesus could have snapped his fingers from afar and raised the son from the dead. He also could've waited to be approached and asked to do so. He could have viewed it as "another miracle that needs to happen". Instead, he took the first action. He approached her with unconditional love. He saw her as a person who needed help, like we all do.
It is stories like this that remind me Jesus sees me as more than my depression and anxiety. He doesn't sit in Heaven judging me for having a bad day. He truly cares. He wants to see us happy, healthy, and filled with joy. When I am having a rough day, I know my God is there for me. And even more so, I know He wants to be there. He loves us.
Opening Up to His Care
Take a short time to identify a few places in your life where you need help. Are you trying to handle it alone? Do you feel that it is too much? Trust that Jesus is with you and has a desire to show you His love. He doesn't want you to feel like you are by yourself. Surrender those things to Him.
Jesus, I am so thankful that you are a God who cares for us. Thank you for loving me and meeting me where I am. I surrender all my pain to You. I ask for your help. I trust you. Reveal your compassion to me this day. Amen.