Scripture Reading: Psalm 42:1-11, Luke 22:39-46, Isaiah 25:8, Psalm 43:1-5, Isaiah 65:19-20
Grief. It’s a word that holds a lot in a few letters.
We don’t want it. We don’t want to think about it. We don’t want it to come up unexpectedly when we are not ready for the wave of sadness that crashes over us. But what if this is a place where we must linger?
David, the tender-hearted shepherd king, knew the range of emotions well. When he was in a state of happiness, he couldn’t contain himself, making a joyful noise to the Lord and lifting his heart in praise. When he was low, he sank to the depths, covered himself with sorrow and cried out in exhaustion and loneliness.
David dwelled where his heart was, and he wasn’t afraid or hesitant to tell God about all he felt. God was his friend, and David had lived in His goodness before. David reminded himself that he would again live in goodness. But first, he wrestled with the dark.
Inconsolable as he was, David took his pain to God. He looked back and lamented the times in his life he knew joy, and he looked to his God while speaking truth to his downcast soul.
Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.
—Psalm 42:11
David knew God. And David knew grief.
For us to know God deeper, we, too, need to know grief and not be afraid to follow where it leads. Because, if we let it, grief will lead us straight to His heart.
If we’re in a rush to get to a sunnier state internally, we miss the God whose presence is actually in the clouds. God asks us to stay in our sadness a little longer. He knows there is a depth to our faith that forms when we let the pain pour into our hearts and invite Him to reside with us in it.
Unexplainably, joy can dwell alongside sadness. It’s in our tears where we taste the Savior’s love for us, His own heart hurting with ours. Because, and don’t miss this, God is with us wherever we are. In our happiness and our heartbreak, our hope and our disappointment. Our despair and delight. There is nowhere we can go where God is not (Psalm 139:7–12).
When your heart hurts, when the tears won’t stop, take solace in Immanuel—God with us. Remember His care for you, His love, His provision in the past. And believe that He is with you now, acknowledging your pain, while preparing your hope for tomorrow.
Written by Sarah Freymuth
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Well, I knew this whole devotional would be brutal. I knew it would hit home like a strike of lightening! it had to!
I knew there would be a few areas, if not all, that would cause the tears to flow, today has the sobs.
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The memories of the early days of this journey creep back, the ache in the heart as strong as back then, it may as well have happened yesterday.
The grief, oh my goodness, I don’t think that it helps that Julees birthday is soooon and she has been on my mind more so than normal.
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I want to tell you about GOD, and how He walked, and continues to walk with me on this journey, never failing me or leaving me to deal with on my own..
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When Julee left this world, to say I was devastated would be putting it mildly, it was, and will always be my darkest time. I tried to end my life, because I didnt know how to do life without her, she had been my ‘sidekick ‘ in life since I was seventeen, and we had been through stuff!
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BUT GOD..
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Don’t you just love those two words that hold only 6 letters, but boy, do they have impact if you know GOD! His goodness, His grace, His love.
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GOD found me, or should I say He was with me, ( I just didn’t know it then) when I walked into that quaint little church, near my home, daily, for weeks, and stood at the altar and disrespected Him, accused Him, and told Him in His house, that HE was a phoney!
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Do you know what God did?
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He didn’t scold me or banished me or send fire and brimstone, NO HE DIDN’T, HE sat with me when I was exhausted and had run out of steam and He showed me a picture of where Julee was, happy running through a meadow, waving at me and in words that live rent free in my heart that I can still hear now, as the tears roll, “I’m okay, I’m happy Mum, I’m okay..”
My eyes sting at the rush of tears, but you know what?
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It is well. Truly it is well!
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I could not have arrived at this stage in my life, BUT FOR GOD!
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I take no credit for any of the wonderment on the journey, I would be a fraud if I did! Truly.
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GOD sure has wiped a few, who am I kidding a lotta tears from my face, and He graciously allows them to flow today as I remember His goodness and love when I could not see passed my Julees last breathe and her beautiful heart stopping..
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It has been a journey, a roller coaster of a journey, but the arrival at today, knowing i have been held lovingly, graciously and unceasing, without falter, is a testament to who GOD is.
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I shall return to the altar where it all began, and I WILL forever praise GOD, for He turned my mourning into dancing, my frown into a smile and my darkest time, into a light filled life, covered in His goodness, grace, peace and love.
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GOD my GOD, I will forever praise you with a thankful heart.
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Amen.
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If this were a letter using paper and pen, it would Truly be tear stained. lol.
Happy Friday, covered in much, much love, hugs and prayers for all.. ❤️❤️❤️