Scripture has much to say about grief. The prophet Isaiah foretold the suffering of our Lord. Though Jesus was God, He experienced rejection, loss, and grief as a man so that He could understand humanity and die in our place. He wept. He hurt for others who were stricken with physical or mental illness. He even said He came to heal the sick, not the well. God always comforts His children, even when they are walking through the “dark soul of the night” or the “valley of the shadow of death.” He never leaves us or forsakes us.
Grief is not just an event — it’s a journey. There are many faces of loss – it could be the loss of a loved one, or of our health, or innocence, or a job, or identity, as in the case of retirement or empty nest syndrome. No matter what the cause of our grief, God walks us through it with hope and redemption. As Isaiah 61:3 says, He wants to exchange our “mourning for joy.”
Recently, I wrote a book about grief, but I added a twist. Each person I interviewed shared their story of loss but included how Christ redeemed their pain. Instead of self-medicating, drowning in their sorrow, or running from the source of their hope, they sought the comfort of the Lord and now serve Him in some manner of paying it forward. That is what we are called to.
Father, we are forever grateful that you know our pain because you have gone before us. We look forward to the day when we will see you face to face and there will be no more weeping or sorrow. Amen.
Go Deeper — If you are facing grief, or if someone you know is grieving, start a gratitude journal, recording daily blessings you observe. Give thanks to God for them.
Photo Credit: Raechel Romero