MESSAGE BY: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MEMORISE: ” Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;” — Psalm 30:11

BIBLE READING: Luke 7:11–16 (KJV)

11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.

12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

Tears are the universal language of human agony. Throughout life, individuals encounter seasons of overwhelming grief, disappointment, and desperation that leave them brokenhearted. Grief is not limited to age, social standing, or background—it touches every corner of human existence. In the biblical narrative of Luke 7, we encounter a woman in the city of Nain whose life had been hit by a double tragedy. She was a widow, meaning she had already experienced the heartbreaking loss of her husband and provider. To make matters immeasurably worse, her only son—her sole source of hope, comfort, security, and continuation of her lineage—had also died.

As she walked toward the city gates, she was surrounded by a funeral procession. The crowd walking with her could offer sympathy, tears, and human condolences, but they could not restore life to the cold corpse on the bier. Sympathy from friends and family can comfort us temporarily, but human empathy lacks the inherent power to alter a hopeless trajectory.

It was precisely at this point of total helplessness—at the very gate of the city, where life and death crossed paths—that Jesus Christ stepped into her story. The Bible records that when the Lord saw her, He was moved with deep compassion. God is never indifferent to your grief. He does not view your tears with detachment; He feels the weight of your pain. When Jesus looked at this grieving widow, He uttered two life-changing words: “Weep not.”

When a human being tells you not to cry, it is usually a well-meaning attempt to offer comfort or encourage emotional composure. However, when the Almighty God commands you to “Weep not,” it carries an entirely different weight. God never demands that you dry your tears without providing the solution that eliminates the reason for your sorrow.

When Jesus says, “Weep not,” it is a prophetic declaration that:

The Root Cause of the Tears Is Being Terminated: Jesus does not deal merely with emotional symptoms; He addresses the fundamental source of your distress.

A Divine Reversal Is Underway: The laws of nature, biology, and circumstance are being overridden by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

Death Is Giving Way to Life: Whether it is a dead womb, a dead career, a dying marriage, or a deceased dream, the presence of Christ introduces resurrection power.

Jesus stepped forward, touched the open coffin, and stopped the pallbearers in their tracks. By touching the bier, He demonstrated that His purity and life-giving power conquer all contamination and decay. He then spoke directly to the corpse: “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.” Immediately, the young man sat up, began to speak, and Jesus delivered him back to his mother. In an instant, a funeral procession was transformed into a victory march!

This power of God to silence weeping is not a forgotten historical relic of the ancient past; it is an active reality today.

Some years ago, during a church program, I was deep in prayer when the Lord suddenly spoke to me and said, “Open your eyes.” For a brief moment, I questioned the command in my mind, thinking, “Lord, I am in the middle of ministering and praying.” But I promptly obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit.

When I opened my eyes, the Spirit of God directed my attention to a woman standing in the congregation. Tears were streaming uncontrollably down her face, soaking her clothes as she prayed in absolute agony. God spoke to me again and gave me a direct instruction: “Go and tell her, ‘Weep not.'”

I stepped down from the altar, walked across the auditorium, approached the sister, tapped her gently on the shoulder, and passed along the exact message God gave me: “God said, ‘Weep not.'” Instantly, her tear-stained face lit up with a ray of hope. I returned to the altar and continued the service, leaving her in the hands of the Almighty.

A full year passed. I was standing on the altar once again, ministering to individuals line by line who required prayer. As the line moved forward, this same woman stepped up to face me. I greeted her warmly and asked, “Sister, how can I help you today?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but the only word that could form on her lips was, “Jesus.”

I thought she was overwhelmed, so I asked her a second time, “Sister, what would you like me to pray about?”

Again, tears filled her eyes, and she could only whisper, “Jesus.”

By the time I asked her a third time, I was becoming somewhat impatient because there were hundreds of people behind her waiting for prayer. Sensing my urgency, she composed herself, took a deep breath, and explained her overwhelming emotional reaction.

She reminded me of the previous year’s service, recounting how she had been weeping in bitter despair because she had endured over ten years of agonizing childlessness. Her husband’s relatives were applying relentless pressure on him to divorce her and send her packing if she could not produce an heir. It was in that moment of absolute despair that God sent me to tell her, “Weep not.”

Then she held up her hands—in her right arm was a healthy, bouncing baby, and in her left arm was another baby! God had blessed her with a set of twins, turning a decade of shame, sorrow, and impending divorce into a glorious celebration of double fruitfulness!

Her story is living proof that no situation is beyond the reach of God’s redemptive power. What started as years of bitter crying ended in speechless, overflowing joy.

Beloved, if you have given your life to Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Father is sending this exact message to you today: “Weep not!”

Psalm 30:5 promises us, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

You may have experienced a long, dark night of tears, sleepless nights, quiet heartbreak, and relentless pain. You may have faced mocking voices that questioned your faith and asked, “Where is your God?” But I am here to declare to you that your morning has finally arrived!

When God decides to end your weeping, He does not just restore what was lost; He multiplies it to make you forget the years of hardship.

Do not allow despair to convince you that your situation is permanent. The same God who met the widow of Nain at the gate of death, and the same God who remembered that childless sister after ten years of reproach, is alive today. He is stepping into your circumstances right now to command a complete turnaround.

Father, I thank You from the bottom of my heart for bringing an end to my season of grief, silencing every cause of weeping in my life, and ushering me permanently into my long-awaited days of laughter, fruitfulness, and divine joy, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Nahum 1–3

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,

Everything to God in prayer.

2. Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.