Lovely & Fitting

Daily Reading: Luke 7

Scripture Focus: Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. (Luke 7.11)

Devotional Thought: Jesus went to Nain, a small village whose Hebrew name meant “Lovely” or “Fitting.” It was anything but lovely or fitting, however, to a bereaved mother. She had only one son and the young man was being buried that day. Earlier in life, this grieving mother had lost her husband to death as well. Her heart was broken, her life was shattered, and her hope was gone. Lovely? Fitting? Hardly.

But when Jesus came, everything changed. He spoke to the dead and made things lovely and fitting again.

Is the place you are living lovely and fitting? I once lived in a small town called Bethel. That is another Hebrew word that means “House of God.” When I was with my brothers and sisters in Christ or at home with my wife, I felt that Bethel was a fitting name, for it was indeed lovely. There was much in our town, however, that was not lovely. Sin and despair, sorrow and addiction, poverty and joblessness – these were realities for many in Bethel. Like the widow in Nain, their hearts were filled with grief.

You do not live in Nain but you may feel as though you do. The pieces don’t fit. You struggle to find anything lovely about your life. There is good news today! Jesus is coming to town!

At Christmas, we naturally think about Jesus coming to a little town called Bethlehem. But, do we stop to think that Jesus comes to our town, too? In all the unfitting qualities, in all that is not lovely, we find Jesus raising his hand against our sorrow, stopping the procession of death. He gives us reason to believe again, to hope again, to live again.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you have come to my Nain and made my life lovely and fitting. Help me in this season to spread that hope and peace to others as well. Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; 4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; 5 to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever; 6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever; 7 to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; 8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; 9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever; (Psalms 136:1-9)