Faith and Grief

A Grief Devotional: Beyond the Cliché

Beyond the Cliché

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

 

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

 

We often hear this verse from well-intentioned friends in our season of grief. Perhaps we've heard it so many times that we glaze over and tune it out as just a pat answer that has no power to touch our pain.

 

Instead of shrugging it off, we can embrace Romans 8:28. We can anchor our hopes to its truth in the middle of our turbulent sea of grief. What does it mean that God works all things together for good? Did God cause this loss? Did he purposely take my loved one from me? Probably not. It is much more likely the result of living in a fallen and broken world.

 

Romans 8:28 doesn't say what happened is good—but that ultimately God will bring something good from our current suffering. Our part is to love him, to trust him and to live out the purpose for which he called us. We must let the raging waters of grief polish us like stones on the seashore. Eventually our rough places will give way to smoothness and our surface will shine with the reflection of our creator.

 

Lord, I am grateful that you can and will bring good out of this loss. I need to know you have a purpose for my pain to keep me from hopelessness. Thank you for your word of hope today. Amen.

A Grief Devotional: No Shrinking Back

No Shrinking Back

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe

and are saved. Hebrews 10:39

 

"I can't do this!" we cry out to God in the dawn of our grief, "Please take away this pain."

 

We have been given a task we are not equal to—letting go of someone we love dearly, perhaps the one person we love more than any other. It is too much for us!

 

Only as we trust Jesus can we walk this pain-riddled path. If we shrink back, depression and despair will overtake us. Like wild beasts on the prowl, they seek to devour us. No, we cannot shrink back. We must put our hope in Jesus and our hand in his and let him lead us through our grief. He will provide our protection.

 

When the path is too treacherous, too rocky and steep, he will carry us. He is more than equal to the task.

 

Lord, some days I feel my grief will devour me. If I survive, I will be wounded beyond recognition. Save me from despair, pull me back from the jaws of depression and carry me safely through the rocky terrain of my grief. Amen

A Grief Devotional: Come Quickly

Come Quickly

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

Be merciful, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. Psalm 31:9

 

Without the mercy of the Lord, I would be crushed by my grief! My sorrow weakens me and weighs me down. It wearies me and drains the strength I need to keep depression and despair at bay. I long for a few days of respite from the pain that I might be refreshed enough to walk through grief without succumbing to despair.

 

I need the Lord's mercy today. I cannot outrun my anguish but I can find shelter and refuge in the Lord even in the midst of my pain.

 

Lord, pour out your mercy on me today. I am weak and wounded and in need of your comfort and protection today. Shelter me, strengthen me, and love me. Come quickly, I pray. Amen

An Accurate Reflection: Grief Devotional

An Accurate Reflection

By Elizabeth M. Thompson 

There is no one righteous, not even one. Romans 3:10

 

All of us have sinned. We have no claim of righteousness apart from the righteousness of Christ, imparted to us by faith.

 

Somehow when a loved one dies, we can lose our perspective and begin to think of our beloved as someone who was perfect. Our grief shields us from the memories of the things our loved one said or did that were far from righteous—a selfish attitude, a painful sin or even an annoying habit. Our minds trick us and for a time we cannot remember any imperfections.

 

For most grievers, this time quickly passes and is replaced with a more balanced perspective, a more accurate picture of our loved one, complete with flaws. When a griever is stuck believing only good things about their loved one, the griever is in danger of idolizing the deceased.

 

Lord, help me to have an accurate perception of my beloved. Remind me of the good and the not-so-good parts so that I might grieve the truth and not create a false image of him. Help me to see perfection in you alone. Amen

Crying on the Inside

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

 

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16: 7

 

There are times in the course of our grief when we must pull it together. Though we may feel overwhelmed and emotionally out of control—we must appear to be okay. We must function. We must get through the memorial service and the other rituals that come with death. Before long, we must return to our normal schedule: driving the carpool, cleaning house, working, teaching Sunday school and participating in social events.

 

So we put on a brave front on those days when our hearts ache and we would rather pull the covers over our heads and give in to the body-wrenching sobs that lurk beneath the surface—ready to erupt like a giant volcano.

 

We may appear back to normal and to our friends, family and coworkers we seem to be doing well.

 

But God knows how we are really doing. He alone sees behind the façade of stoicism and knows we are crying on the inside. And he cares.

 

Lord, help me to function as I must in all the roles you’ve created me to fulfill. Remind me today of your love and faithfulness as I walk through my day. Amen

 

Heaven on the Horizon

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

 

Brothers we do not want you to…grieve like the rest of men who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

 

Our hope of heaven profoundly affects how we grieve. Without heaven on the horizon, we would have reason for intense, inconsolable grief and even despair. Instead, the death of a believer is bittersweet—we know that our loved one is with the Lord, Jesus Christ and we have a holy longing for that nearness to the One we love the most.

 

We also have a void in our life—a place in our heart that our loved one filled that now stands vacant, like a handless glove. Though we don’t grieve as though our beloved is forever lost, we still grieve. We grieve our daily connection. We grieve the touch of our loved one, the sound of his voice, the joy she brought us. We still grieve, but not the pathetic sorrow of hopelessness.

 

Ours is a grief infused with hope—hope that our beloved is in the presence of Jesus, hope that we will one day join him in heaven and hope for a reunion more joyful than we could imagine.

 

Lord, because of you I have hope! Thank you for giving me hope for an eternity with you and with my loved one. I am forever grateful. Amen

Stillness: A Grief Devotional by Elizabeth M. Thompson

  Stillness

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

When death takes someone we love, we are immediately swallowed up by the enormity of the loss. We are catapulted into a multitude of activities and myriad details. Decisions, plans, notifications, and legal documents sweep us into action.

We make our way down the to-do list amazed that we can function at all. The activity continues and we are told: “It is good to stay busy; it keeps your mind off things.”

True, busyness can distract us from the full force of our loss. But it can also distract us from the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to be aware of God’s presence, his comfort and love, we need to be still. We need our hands, our bodies, and most importantly, our minds to be still. If we take the time each day to meditate on the greatness of God and allow his Word to plant itself in our hearts, we will walk in the knowledge of who God is and how much he loves us.

Be still today so God can infuse all your activities with the awareness of his presence.

Lord, it is hard to be still today. There is so much to do. My mind is fragmented and over-stimulated, trying to comprehend my loss, my changed life. Lord I want to walk this path hand-in-hand with you. Help me to carve out stillness in my day. Amen

The Anchor Holds by Elizabeth M. Thompson

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus,” if you had been here, my brother would not have died...” John 11:21

I have tasted the bitterness on my tongue as I leveled this accusation at my Lord, “You could have healed him! How could you let my beloved die and cause me so much pain? Why did you not act? I know you love me, so why did you allow this catastrophic storm of grief into my life?”

When the healing doesn’t come and in its place comes death, where is the healer? He holds the one thing we yearn for more than anything else, and he withholds it. Why?

We may never be able to answer that question. But we learn that Jesus wants us to seek him, not just what he can do for us. He wants our trust to run so deep that the circumstances have no power over it.

We find the storms of life reveal to us what anchors our soul and whether or not the anchor holds. On those days when I wake to see that I have survived another heartbroken night, I know my soul is secure; my anchor holds.

Lord, you are the anchor of my soul, without you I could not survive this torrential grief. My pain would overtake me and I would be lost at sea. Who am I to question you? Your ways and your thoughts are far greater than mine. I will trust you. Amen.

 

The Anchor Holds

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

Vulnerable to Grief by Elizabeth M. Thompson

Vulnerable to Grief

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces. He was despised and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:3

I am perplexed by the thought that Jesus—God in the flesh—suffered grief. When God became a man he longed to make himself relatable, approachable to us.

Because Jesus suffered losses and experienced grief, He is able to identify with my grief. He knows how I feel and has empathy and compassion for me. Because He humbled Himself to become like us—taking on human form—He understands our pain, our suffering and all the emotional turmoil that can accompany our loss.

Jesus chose to identify Himself with us in our grief. He willingly experienced losses, because of His longing to connect with us in our pain. If He loves us enough to take on grief and suffering, we know He can lead us from the depths of grief to restored joy and purpose.

Dear Lord, thank you for making yourself vulnerable to grief and loss for our sake. Please help me though my grief and lead me to acceptance, contentment and peace. Amen.

Unshakeable: A Grief Devotional by Elizabeth M. Thompson

Unshakeable

By Elizabeth M. Thompson

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

Few things shake our lives like bereavement, a word that literally means to tear. We feel our loved one has been torn from our lives, leaving a ragged edge that easily frays. I look out my window at the distant mountains and feel a little amazed that they stand in spite of the shaking I have endured and I am reminded of God’s faithful and unfailing love for me. More stable and more constant than the mightiest of mountains.

God’s covenant of peace has not been removed from me, though I may not be at peace with my loss, I am at peace with my God.

Lord, thank you for reminding me of your faithfulness and steadfastness today. My life has been severely altered by my loss, yet my God is unaltered. You remain the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Thank you for your covenant of peace which surrounds me and strengthens me and stabilizes me in the midst of turmoil. Amen