The greatest illustration of grief is a wound. Wounds vary in severity. Wounds heal differently. Different injuries leave different scars. Generally, there is a sudden shock as the initial pain and confusion set in. Then there is a severe ache that lessens over time. However, if you have been badly injured, even in the healing process, there is a tenderness. You bump it or stretch it – you feel that sharp pain once again. Grief is similar.
The Wounds of Grief Appear
Corrie ten Boom was all too familiar with the searing pain of loss. She wrote these words:
“Do you know what hurts so very much? It’s love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.”
If we love, we will grieve. Yet, the greatest demonstration of suffering and love was found on the Cross of Christ (John 3:16). He knows. He is with us. (Learn more about what Christ endured on the Cross in Scott’s video series).
Be Prepared.
Grief will come to every child of God, in some measure. Elisabeth Elliot reminded us that if “we don’t ever want to suffer, we must be very careful to never love anything or anybody.” Suffering comes from the stripping away of what we love most. The more dear to us, the more painful it is. Until eternity, we live in a fallen world. War, crime, sickness, accidents, and suffering are harsh realities in a world marred by sin. We must root ourselves in the truth of God’s Word as an anchor for the storms that will come. (For more, watch Scott’s sermon, “Confronting Grief“).
Run to Christ.
Consider the trials David endured. Consider what is recorded in Psalm 55:
(16)As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. (17) Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (22) Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
When the phone rings, when news breaks, or when the message comes, call on God; He will save you. Cry out to Him; He will hear. Cast that overwhelming burden on Him; He will sustain you. Why? Because the Creator “careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Run to the Savior. (Discover “3 Truths for Navigating Grief” HERE.)
The Wounds of Grief Linger
We must walk through the fog, confusion, questions, and fears. There is no legitimate shortcut. The world offers cheap substitutes of the grace for God to numb the pain. Yet, these bring no healing. No true comfort.
Go to the Word of God.
Consider the connection between the Word of God and the comfort of God. Psalm 119 teaches us this. “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself. 114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Avoid the Lies of the Enemy.
The oldest weapon Satan employs is deception. Specifically, the Devil wants you to doubt the goodness of God (consider Genesis 3). Heartache is fertile ground for the seeds of bitterness and doubt. Allow the peace for God to keep (protect, guard) your heart as meditate on the truth. Keep the weeds of deception out and allow the Spirit to produce fruit by the truth of God’s Word.
Bring Your Emotions to God.
Philippians 4 our hearts and minds are a battleground. Heartache shakes every part of our being. In these times, we must “be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If you long for peace, bring your worry and care to Jesus and receive His peace to guard and keep your mind. His peace must rule our hearts (Colossians 3:15).
The Wounds of Grief Heal
Gradually, as you experience the overwhelming grace of God, the wounds close, but still ache. There are still seasons of heartache, but your faithful God teaches you how to lean on time. God sends encouragers to carry the load alongside you. God grants peace and strength previously unknown. These come at different times and in different ways for each person. But if you have experienced His sustaining strength. If you have received a measure of His healing touch, here are 3 responses:
Praise God.
Has God sustained you? Give Him glory. He is worthy of our praise and gratitude. Psalm 30 sets the tone for us:
(1) I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. (2) O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. (11) Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; (12) To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Our God is faithful to deliver. We must be faithful to praise His name (Psalm 150).
Love God.
As God carries us through seasons of difficulty and as His mercy is evidenced in our lives, what should it lead us to? A greater love for Him. Just as in human relationships, your heart is knit to those with whom you walk in hard times. So, in a spiritual sense, our love for God ought to grow. As He leads, guides, and sustains us, our love and adoration of Him should grow.
Testify about God’s Faithfulness.
Giving praise to God not only carries us through grief, it demonstrates to a suffering world that God can take the most heartbreaking seasons in life and turn them for good. In a world of broken promises and abandonment, declare to others that there is a faithful God who will never leave nor forsake His children (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Comfort Others.
God comforted you, and He longs to do the same for others. Be a channel for the comfort of God. Paul taught this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-6,
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.“
The Father is seeking to work in every life. He works in ways beyond our comprehension. You may feel lost, confused, and overcome by the grief…dawn will break again. The wound may be fresh, it may be painful, or it may be a tender scar, but His grace will sustain you. If you are coming through a trial, praise God today. Whatever stage of the journey you are in, come to God. Bring your wounds of grief to the Great Physician.
*If you or loved ones are grieving, download our Bible Prayer Guide and allow God’s Word to guide your prayers.
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