The widow at Nain was not the first lonely woman God noticed. All through the Bible, God shows special care for widows and for children who have no father.
Who God is. “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5). Fatherless means having no father. A habitation is the place where someone lives.
Why they needed help. In Bible times, a widow usually could not own much land or earn much money. Without a husband or a grown son, she could become very poor.
A strong warning. In His law, God told His people never to take advantage of a widow or a fatherless child. If such a child or widow cried out to Him, He promised He would surely hear their cry (Exodus 22:22-23).
A fair Judge. Moses said the great God gives justice to the fatherless and the widow (Deuteronomy 10:18). Justice means treating people fairly and setting wrong things right.
Learn to do good. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told His people to learn to do good, to defend the fatherless and to plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:17). To plead for someone means to speak up for them.
A Helper. A psalm says God sees trouble and grief, and He is the helper of the fatherless (Psalm 10:14). He never looks away from a child who has no dad.
Jars of oil. A poor widow once cried to the prophet Elisha. A man was about to take her two sons as slaves to pay a debt. God filled jar after jar with oil, so she could pay what she owed and live on the rest (2 Kings 4:1-7).
Trust Me. Through Jeremiah, God told parents to leave their fatherless children with Him, because He would keep them alive, and He told widows to trust in Him (Jeremiah 49:11).
Naomi. The book of Ruth tells about Naomi, a widow who lost her husband and both of her sons. God did not forget her. He brought her home and filled her life again with Ruth and a baby grandson.
Healing for broken hearts. “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). God does not hurry past sad people.
Near to the hurting. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart” (Psalm 34:18).
The same heart at Nain. When Jesus saw the widow of Nain and helped her, He showed the same heart God has always had for the lonely.
What to do. If you have lost someone, or you feel alone, God sees you. Tell Him how you feel, and tell a grown-up you trust.
God cares for lonely people, and He gives His people the joy of caring for them too.
Jesus and His mother. While Jesus was on the cross, He saw His mother, Mary, standing nearby. He asked His disciple John to take care of her, and John took her into his own home (John 19:25-27).
Even then. Jesus was carrying the sins of the world, and He still made sure His mother had a home. Many Christians think Joseph had died by then, so Mary was probably a widow.
The first church. In the early church in Jerusalem, some widows were being missed when food was handed out each day (Acts 6:1).
A wise plan. The apostles said, “Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3). Caring for widows was important work for people filled with the Holy Spirit.
Real faith. James wrote that pure faith includes visiting orphans and widows in their trouble (James 1:27). An orphan is a child whose parents have died.
Visit. James used the same word the crowd used at Nain when they said God had visited His people. God came close to help us in Jesus. Now we go close to help others.
Carry the load. “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). A burden is a heavy load. Some burdens are sadness and loneliness.
Do good to everyone. “Let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).
Jesus served first. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).
Why we care. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We do not earn God's love by helping people. We help people because God already loves us.
God's visit to us. Zacharias sang that “the Dayspring from on high has visited us” (Luke 1:78). The Dayspring is the sunrise, a picture of Jesus coming into our dark world.
Who might be lonely? An older neighbor who lives alone, a grandparent, a friend whose parent has died, or a new kid at school may need a visit.
What to do. This week, with a grown-up, visit, call or make a card for someone who is lonely. Pray for that person by name.
Complete all sections to finish!
Read each section and answer the questions correctly.