The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. –Psalm 34:17-18
Loss and grief are experiences that are common in our world. Everyone has or at some point will experience loss and everyone has or will have to grieve something or someone. Yet, despite their common occurrence, coping and recovering does not seem to be so simple. Losing a loved one can leave you feeling broken, lost, and confused. The hurt of the loss can be crippling and hinder a person’s ability to live. For many, expressing that pain feels like a weakness, especially when the one grieving feels the burden of so many other responsibilities.
Perhaps someone you know is grieving and you do not even know it. David Kessler and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross have outlined the five stages of grief that most people will experience at some point. They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Going through these stages are how a person learns to live after a loss. Perhaps you are going through these phases yourself. Are you feeling ashamed of your grief? Do you feel that your grief is lasting too long? Are you ignoring the pain and allowing it to manifest in other relationships or even your health? Perhaps that grief is giving you anxiety and depression.
It is important to God that we deal with and confront our grief. It is so important to God that He sent His Son Jesus to bear our grief and carry our sorrows according to the book of Isaiah 53:4. When we acknowledge our grief and bring it to Jesus, we acknowledge the void and pain we feel from the death of a loved one or broken relationship. While the cause of our grief may be out of our control, acknowledging the pain leads us to the One who can heal the pain. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that Jesus was beaten with many stripes so that you and I could access that healing.
The healing from grief teaches us how to live on after the loss. Often, crying and shedding tears is part of the process. Medical News Today says that our tears rid the body of endorphins, oxytocin and other stress hormones which help to reduce physical and emotional pain. Crying also helps one to self soothe and even sleep as other hormones are released.
Psalm 126:5-6 says, “They that sow in tears will reap in joy. He who goes weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Imagine your tears as that bag of seed. God honors the tears we cry. Through His Son Jesus, He redeems those tears so that we can experience more joy in our lives.
Let’s Pray!
Dear God,
Thank You for caring about my pain and sorrow. Thank You for Sending Your Son Jesus to help me bear it and heal. Lord Jesus, I give You my pain, sorrow, grief and tears. I receive Your joy and healing. Thank You, Dear Father, for my wholeness through the blood of Jesus Christ. I send this depression, anxiety, worry and distress to the feet of Jesus and I receive the oil of Joy in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.