LIFE WITHOUT PROTEINS

Luke 7:11-15
11 Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went along with Him. 12 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. 13 When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry." 14 Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

What would life be without proteins?" That's what a member of the Nobel Prize committee asked when introducing the 2002 winners in chemistry. Three scientists had come up with a way to identify proteins and create 3-D images of them.

I'm no scientist, and I don't know a whole lot about proteins. But I imagine that life without them would be very different. Proteins regulate our blood pressure. They break down all that fat and sugar we eat, and they even keep our skin in one piece. Without proteins, we'd literally fall apart.

No doubt the widow in Luke 7 believed her life was falling apart. She had already lost her husband, and now her only son was dead. That's when Jesus came and "His heart went out to her" (v.13). He saw that her heart was breaking, so He offered her His own. The woman would not have to endure life without her son--Jesus gave him back to her (v.15).

You may have suffered a lot of losses in your life, and it's easy for you to understand that woman's anguish. Or maybe you haven't yet lost anything or anyone all that important to you. Take a few minutes and imagine your life if you suddenly lost your job, your best friend, the ability to walk, your family. Pretty grim.

Now imagine your life without your faith--without Jesus. Faith can keep life's pressures from overwhelming you. Faith cuts through all the worldly influences you take in each day and reminds you of what you really need. Faith in Jesus can help you keep it together when everything is falling apart.

Your faith in Jesus can help you endure the pain of any loss. There's no substitute. Faith in Him is what saves your soul, heals your heart, and moves the mountains that seem so overwhelming. When you suffer loss, turn in faith to Jesus. His heart will reach out to you. --Tracy Carbaugh

DESTINATION POINTS

* What losses have I suffered? What role has my faith played in helping me cope?
* What's the state of my faith right now? Strong? Wavering? Gone?
* Have I not yet put my faith in Jesus? Why? These verses tell me about faith: Matthew 9:27-30, Luke 5:17-20, Ephesians 2:1-10.

LINKS:
How Can I Live With My Loss?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/cb921

Do I Have The Right Kind Of Faith?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0603

bottom line: If you have faith in Jesus, you have it all.

soul journey