The River of Grief

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2

Of all the rivers of trials we can face in this life, grief tends to be the most, well, grievous. Somewhere, somehow, everyone on earth will suffer loss of some kind. Obviously death of loved ones brings grief, but grief can come from any loss. Grief can be such a horrible pain that our reaction to it can sometimes make us think we are bad Christians for feeling it. But as long as there is sin in the world there will be loss, and if we remember God offers to help us through life's rivers, we can know that He will see us through to the other side.

Anger, sorrow, bitterness, guilt, regret, and many other emotions often come with grief. As our hearts try to cope with the loss, pain can take on many forms. Know that this is normal, it happens, it is part of the process. To help healing, we should remember to never focus on any one aspect too long. I am no stranger to grief, the waters of which I have been forced to traverse most all of my life. I can attest; The LORD is always there if we call on Him to help. No one can give peace like Jesus.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

One of the most powerful things to take to heart is that Jesus dealt with grief in the same human way we do. The LORD knows grief, and all the emotions and pains that come with it. Death, separation, betrayal, He felt it all as we do. He cares so much for us, and especially when we are dealing with loss and suffering. Psalm 34:18 is often read to show how The LORD cares for us, but to me, verse 18 and 19 should always be read together.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Psalm 34:18-19

Do you suffer with grief? I will gladly pray for you. My email will always be open for discussion, questions and prayer requests. May Jesus bless you!

the.deacons.bench.jgb@gmail.com

Jeremy