A COLLISION OF DEATH AND LIFE

In Luke 7:11–15, we meet a woman whose world had completely fallen apart. A widow already, she now marched behind the coffin of her only son, her last hope, her future security, headed for the graveyard. But as she followed death, Jesus was approaching with a crowd full of life. At the village gate, grief and joy collided. In our own lives, there are moments we march behind dead dreams, dead relationships, or dead hopes. Yet, like this woman, we must learn to shift our focus. Death may seem undeniable, but Jesus stands ready to meet us in the middle of our pain.

Sometimes we do not realize how much we focus on the death in our lives instead of the Author of life Himself. Pain is real; loss is real. But not everything that looks dead is utterly lost. I once experienced a terrible moment of grief when I was mistakenly informed that my fiancé had died. The anguish I felt was overwhelming—until I heard his voice on the other end of the phone, alive and well. That moment taught me: sometimes what we believe to be dead is only a distortion, a lie from the enemy to steal our hope. We must refocus on Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life, and allow Him to reveal the truth.

Jesus did not just show up to comfort the grieving widow, He came to change her situation. His command, “Don’t cry,” was not callous; it was full of power and purpose. When Jesus speaks, He calls us out of mourning and into faith. Like the grieving sisters of Lazarus in John 11, we are reminded that Jesus is not just hope for our past or future, He is hope for our present. When we feel paralyzed by loss, He invites us to wipe our tears and believe again. Sometimes the first step toward revival in our lives is simply allowing Him to refresh our hearts with faith.

The widow’s empowerment came the moment she allowed Jesus to interrupt her plans. She thought she was headed for the grave, but Jesus had a different destination in mind. He touched the coffin, stopped the procession, and with a single command, brought the boy back to life. Jesus still interrupts our dead-end journeys today. We must allow Him to change the direction we are walking, even when it feels scary or unfamiliar. He is not intimidated by our brokenness. He is not afraid of death. He steps boldly into our dead situations and says, “Get up!”

Today, you may feel like you are marching behind something that feels hopeless; your marriage, your children, your finances, or even your faith. But hear this: death never has the final say when Jesus is involved. He specializes in turning mourning into dancing, ashes into beauty, and death into life. The same Jesus who turned a funeral into a celebration at the gates of Nain is still moving today. Let Him refocus your eyes, refresh your heart, and empower your spirit. Life can, and will, rise again when you collide with the Savior.

BIO- Christal and her husband Rob have been married and in ministry together since 1993. They are blessed with four children, Victoria, Robbie, Lexi and Tobie and seven amazing grand children, Elisha, Eden, Robbie, Elona, Ezra, Harper, and Mateo. Christal currently serves as the Women’s Ministry Director of Texas. She previously served as the International Girls Ministries Coordinator for the Church of God, State Girls Ministries Coordinator for Church of God congregations in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and South Carolina. Christal enjoys ministering through teaching, preaching, and writing.