Cry Out To Jesus

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
~"Cry Out To Jesus" by Third Day


Grieving is a process we go through when we feel loss in our lives.  Although we associate grieving with loss of a loved one, grieving also takes place when we feel any loss in our lives.  Examples of this would be loss of dream, a relationship, a job, an illness, the list goes on. Change can cause us to grieve, even when we know that it is a good change; it still causes us to leave our comfort zone.

How do you deal with grief?  Do you try to stay overly busy and avoid feeling it?  Do you sink into the depths of despair?  Do you get angry and look for someone to blame?  All of these are normal reactions to grief.  So what is the best way to get through it?  What does God have to say about this?  The Word, and reaching harder and more often to Him helps me the most.  Below I will share some of the passages that speak to me about grieving.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you, he will never let the righteous fall" Psalm 55:22.
"Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and .   learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:25-30.

What these passages say to me is that we are to bring our grief to the Lord, and he will take it on himself. The emotions and reactions that weigh us down will be lifted from us when we ask Jesus to do so.  Although the grieving process is still there, it isn't as difficult to bear.

"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
"Do you not know, have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:18-31
"The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on her ruins, he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing."  Isaiah 51:3

What do these passages say to you?  What they say to me is that there is hope, that God has compassion for us and that He will make us even better than before.  It is easy to reach for what is physically near us, but our true comfort and hope lies with our God.  I try to remember and think of him as "my God"; He cares that much for me.  It is hard when we want immediate feelings of relief to go to Him, since sometimes his answers take some time to see.  When I take the time and make it a priority, going to Him in prayer and in the Word ultimately is the most healing and comforting of all.  What passages speak to you and provide the most comfort and hope to you?