Tag: grief

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Seeking God in Suffering – More Than a Platitude

DAY 17 | Romans 8:18-30

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

Christians sometimes have the best intentions but say the wrong things. In attempts to comfort someone who is grieving the death of a loved one, we have been known to offer platitudes like “God had a plan” or “She’s in a better place” or “His suffering is over.” All true, but perhaps we should simply imitate the Spirit with “wordless groans,” offering a hug and ongoing prayers.

The greater the degree of suffering on this earth, the more we long for the day when we will be with Christ in heaven, free from the tyranny of sickness and sorrow.

In this passage, the apostle Paul seeks to encourage God’s people with both strength to get through today and a glorious vision of the future. He tells us that in all things God works for our ultimate good and his purpose. This does not mean all things are inherently good but that God redeems the pain and blesses us.

My Uncle Leon quotes Romans 8:28 as a text that has comforted him and his wife, Shirley, since losing both of their sons in early adulthood. Through tears and a shattered heart, he still expresses confidence that God will use his scars to bless others in similar circumstances. This verse is more than a platitude; it’s a promise based on God’s enduring love.

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Lord, in the midst of our deep suffering and crippling grief, may your Spirit begin to heal our hearts and translate our tears into something that is ultimately good. Amen

//Reframe Ministries//

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Seeking God in Suffering – Strength for Today

Strength for Today

DAY 13 | Psalm 27

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? —Psalm 27:1

Before my Grandpa Mulder died, he compiled a list of Bible passages for the pastor to give to the grandchildren at his funeral. Thus his name is written alongside Psalm 27 in my Bible. It encourages me to think about how God gave my grandfather the strength to endure the difficulties in his life.

The Lord was Grandpa’s stronghold when one of his children died at age 11, when their family could barely make a living during the Great Depression, when his wife died at age 55, and when leukemia later drained him of life. The image of him looking to heaven as he sang a hymn in his hospital bed is one I will not forget.

When God’s people are besieged by an army of challenges in life—grief, financial struggles, illness—we can endure because God is our stronghold. God’s grip never loosens, even when we feel as if we are slipping away. David the psalmist writes that “in the day of trouble” God will “keep [us] safe in his dwelling” and then “set [us] high upon a rock” as a sign of victory.

This psalm is packed with words of comfort: light, salvation, confidence, beauty, safety, joy, help, mercy, and goodness. Memorizing this psalm, and repeating it throughout the day in times of difficulty, can be a sure source of strength for anyone who is suffering.

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“Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. . . . You have been my helper.” Give me strength to face whatever comes my way. Amen.

//Reframe Ministries//

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Seeking God in Suffering – News That Devastates

News that Devastates

DAY 1 | Psalm 77:1-4

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.— Psalm 77:1

The phone call. The knock on the door. The doctor’s words. The death pronouncement. Many of us can remember times in our lives when we received news that we immediately knew would change the course of our future. Waves of dread ran through our bodies, and we could barely stand. “Oh, God!”

For followers of Christ, calling out to our God—the source of our life and strength and hope—is a natural response to shock, fear, disbelief, and grief. Sometimes “Oh, God!” is all we can say as our mind races and our world blurs. It’s our 911 call to the God of the universe.

One of the wonderful things about the Psalms is that, by example, we are granted permission to cry out to God in desperation. It’s human to fear death when we’re diagnosed with cancer. And it’s human to want to die when we lose a precious child or spouse. God’s people are not required to be stoic in difficult times. Instead, we are invited to collapse into the arms of God, who will hold us tightly, catch our tears, and carry us through whatever lies ahead.

The writer of this psalm does not rush to resolution but lingers in the distress and sleeplessness of overwhelming grief. He merely asks God to help and to hear. And that’s more than enough.

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Oh, God, sometimes life hits us with such hard blows that we can barely breathe. Thank you that when we feel overwhelmed with fear or grief, you hear our cries and come near to us. Amen.

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Minute Meditation – Jesus Turned to the Psalms

How many times have you, or someone you know, pressed down the overwhelming grief inside them, judging their own lament? Betraying the truth of their own sorrow, their need to cry? It happens so often—but what if we think of these expressions as love songs? I think we’d accept, even welcome, their expression. Jesus quoted the psalms, and I’ve been moved by the assertion that Jesus sang the psalms as he grew up. A part of daily Jewish life, people knew them by heart. I let my imagination wander. What did Jesus sound like when he sang? You know his voice was beautiful. But not at that end. Not at that hour of torment. It was undoubtedly a gruesome and gut-wrenching sound. The lesson for us is this, I think—if Jesus turned to the psalms in his deepest hour of pain, why wouldn’t we?

— from the book What Was Lost: Seeking Refuge in the Psalms

by Maureen O’Brien

//Franciscan Media//