Dealing with Grief: The Promise of Jesus

Isaiah 43:2“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10    Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Psalm 119:50“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”

Throughout my life, I have gone through many kinds of loss, some more heart-wrenching than others. I have seen my mother go through late-term miscarriages, I’ve lost pets, I’ve begged for relationships back, and I have watched my best friend ultimately lose her battle with cancer. But the one thing that always comes to mind is that I don’t know how in the world anyone survives without Jesus.                               

Jesus:

Truth

Savior

Rock

Mediator

Jehovah

Immanuel

Advocate

Jesus, the beloved, who graciously gives me what I need to survive: Himself. He freely offers peace, truth, solid ground, comfort, and joy. He promises me that this grief cannot overtake me, and that when I feel I am at my end, that is when he pulls out the warrior inside of me—Christ’s power.

So then, am I to just act like my heart is not breaking? Absolutely not. Christians who claim that they are completely fine after traumatic events in their lives because they’re faith is “invincible” are not being completely truthful. God still says that you will pass through the rivers and walk through the fire. But he also promises ultimate safety and healing with him. And when the healing is complete, you can proclaim his goodness.

So:  let yourself be brokenhearted,

       trust that the Holy Spirit will never forsake you,

       and continue to exalt Jesus even when it’s the last thing you feel like doing.