Grief Addressed

Whoever said, “Time heals all wounds” must not have been referring to grief. Grief ebbs and flows like the tide, ever changing and yet constant. Grief remains as the months and years pass by. Some days, tears fall like rain pouring out of dark clouds. Other days are filled with precious memories of the past, like glimpsing a rainbow after the skies clear. Life moves on, but grief makes it so that it is never the same. The death of a loved one, the end of an irreplaceable friendship, physical illnesses or tragedies that change the body so it will never be the same—all these things cause us to grieve and cry out, “Why?” Consider Job, who lost his children, his possessions, his friendships, and eventually even his health. The one thing he did not lose was his God. He continued to praise God, even through the pain and the loss. He was honest with God about his grief and pain. He challenged and he questioned, but he never deviated from the truth or forgot that the only reason he had breath in his lungs was because God had given it. In this broken world, we will all face loss. It can be tempting to blame God and turn against Him in anger. Instead, we can cling to Jesus, the One who lived among us, beat sin and death for us, and promises to resurrect us and make all things new. As Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples said, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). God is big enough to hear our fears and doubts, to shoulder our anger, and to bottle each tear. We grieve, but we are never alone. God is with us, and He will never leave or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). Job knew this, and we can too. • Savannah Coleman • What grief and pain are you experiencing right now? Talk to God about them. You can be honest with Him because He knows your heart fully and can take your turbulent emotions and love you, carrying you through until you see Him face-to-face. • Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk with about your grief and pain? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Job 1:18-22; 19:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14