Pastor's Ponderings, November 27, 2017

God Is Our Grief Counselor

The last year and a half has been very challenging for our family.  My nephew, my son-in-law, my brother in law, a cousin, a friend, and our close financial consultant suddenly passed into eternity. There were so many tragic events that we had not really begun properly grieving for one before receiving another dreaded phone call about another.

My family received a great perspective about God’s comfort over the Thanksgiving Holiday. We visited the matriarch of my extended family who has buried two husbands, all four of her children, and just lost one of her few remaining grandchildren.  However, God has provided people to help her and she was beaming with joy when my family visited her. She is still thanking God for His goodness in her mourning because He is comforting her as He has promised in the Bible (Matthew 5:4).  The Lord has been a very present help as she went through all of her troubles with Him (Psalm 46:1).

Our Lord knows about our sorrow and records all of our tears (Psalm 56:8).   He promised to comfort us in our grief as we comfort others (Corinthians 1:3-4).  It is so hard to lose the presence of a loved one, but God wants us to know that He will supply all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).  We can have peace, joy, and every need met because He is our Shepherd and we will not want (Psalm 23:1).  Thank God for those wonderful counselors who help us grieve our losses, but we have the right to go to God and let Him comfort us like no one else can.

Matthew 5:4
New International Version (NIV)

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Psalm 46:1
New International Version (NIV)

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 56:8
New Living Translation (NLT)

8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
New International Version (NIV)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Philippians 4:19
New International Version (NIV)

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 23:1
New International Version (NIV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.