Grief almost always follows loss.
We grieve the loss of relationships, jobs, physical ability,
social status, and, most commonly, the death of loved ones.
Nothing in life truly prepares us for the death of a loved
one. Having recently lost someone, I know what it’s like to be overwhelmed by grief.
No matter how long we live or how many times we experience it,
death will shake us. But Christians serve a wise and loving GOD who always provides
a path to wholeness.
In times of loss we find our healing through an emotion that
GOD gives to all of us. We call it grief.
When our grief is in perspective to GOD’s will it can be
productive; when it isn’t, grief can destroy us.
How do we grieve GOD’s way?
GOD allows us our grief for a purpose, but grief also has its
limit.
We get into trouble when we become isolated in our grief and
lose hope. Grief then can become an unhealthy and destructive emotion.
Our grief serves to remind us that life as we know it here
on earth is going to end. It is better to
go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the
end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2
Some of us need more time than others to work through our grief
but for all of us our time of mourning is temporary and must come to an end. Weeping may spend the night, but there is
joy in the morning. Psalm 30:5
GOD’s WORD must be the anchor for grieving souls. The Psalms,
especially, are there to remind us of GOD’s faithfulness to the sorrowful:
- Even when I go through the darkest valley, ..You are with me; Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
- God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Be still and know that I am GOD Psalm 46:1, 10
- You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records? Psalm 56:8
- He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
- My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
- Be gracious to me, Lord, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow—my whole being as well. Psalm 31:9-10
- Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5
These are but a few of the many verses we can meditate on
and use for prayer and petition to GOD who cannot help but respond with comfort and healing.
As we lean on GOD, we also lean on those that He has placed
in our lives – members of the body of CHRIST who are able to comfort us as they
too have received comfort in the past. (2 Corinthians 1:4.)
We are called to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and to
grieve with those who grieve (Romans 12:15.) But the grieving must be honest
with our emotions and open to accepting all that
GOD has provided for a healthy
life in Himself and through the Church body.
We do not pretend that grief isn’t hard, because it is!
Grief is hard on the grieving and on those who are there for support. But when all obey GOD’s will, all will overcome.
We cast our burdens on Him, rely on His WORD and the body of
CHRIST, and soon we will be healed and have peace that is beyond all
understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
He will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away the tears from
every face…Isaiah 25:8
Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, YOU are the GOD of all comfort whom we seek in our
greatest sorrow. Thank YOU that YOU so love us and we can
cast all our anxieties and pain on YOU. Thank YOU for YOUR WORD that gives us
hope and peace in our distress and the faithful of the flock that YOU put in
place to stand alongside us. Thank YOU for JESUS who weeps for us and always
lives to make intercession for us when we are in great agony and unable to utter
a word for ourselves. We adore YOU, Abba and JESUS, our Savior. YOU always provide
all that we need. To YOU, we give all praise, all honor and all glory, and we ask all
things in JESUS’ Holy NAME. Amen.
Always by God’s Word and
prayer,
Cecile
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