Grief and God's Promises: Trusting Christ in Times of Sorrow
Sorrow comes like the crushing weight of a wave, powerful and unyielding. A storm of emotions that can feel like there is no end in sight. How can we navigate moments of immense grief when it feels like we are barely holding on through the storm?
We must remember that God does not leave us alone in our grief.
We know the Lord cares deeply for those who are grieving. Christ was called a "man of sorrows" because of the suffering He endured on His journey to the cross for us.
Isaiah 53:1 describes Christ as such: "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. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted" (ESV).
No one else feels and understands the depths of your heartache more than Christ. He will not leave you alone in your grief.
Matthew 5:4 says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (ESV). God reaches out to us in the depths of our sorrow through His Word, His people, and His Church. While sure, it can be easy to isolate yourself in this difficult season, keep your heart open to Him and His people.
How do we cling to God's promises amid sorrow?
When sin entered the world so did sorrow, pain, and grief. But in Revelation 21:4 God promises, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (ESV).
God has said that the sorrows we experience here on Earth will come to pass and He has planned a place for us that is free from the hurt sin causes.
But does knowing this erase our sorrow or diminish our pain? It might not remove the immediate hurt from a loss, but it urges our hearts to seek our Saviour and the promise He's given us to free us from grief when we are united with Him. (Rom. 8:1)
And thanks be to God for that.
Meet the Author || Maddie Powers
Maddie is a follower of Christ, wife of nine years, and mother to three young boys. She is a nurse turned stay-at-home mom and homemaker. Her passion is to share with wives, mothers, and women who are struggling with the mundane to see the beauty, importance, and worship that can be found in it. Maddie enjoys days spent by the ocean, hikes with her family, and a good book at the end of the day.
