"He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
Probably one of the hardest things we have to face is loss. There are several types of loss. I have lost something material that had great importance to me. I have lost faith in myself after a mistake. I have lost my health and had to adjust to an entirely different lifestyle. I have lost contact with friends over the years. I have lost pets, which can be more painful than human loss at times. I have lost friends over betrayal, and breaking of trust. I have lost friends, family and loved ones in death. I have lost a loved one in a relationship, both through death and also through the ending of our love. These losses all cause grief and sorrow.
Right now I am hurting over a deep personal loss. I am in enormous amounts of pain; pain that feels like a sword with flames of fire piercing through my heart. I am filled with the hopelessness that accompanies grief and even some of the bitterness. But most of all it is the pain and sorrow that has encompassed me; that feels as though it will never end. My eyes are red from crying and yet the tears continue to flow. I am thankful that God gave us tears to express our grief and pour out the inner pain, because I know that holding it in is far more dangerous.
In fact one of the most freeing verses in the Bible is also the shortest one, John 11:38, "Jesus wept". Those two words give us permission to weep in our sorrow because they reveal how Jesus modeled for us this normal response to grief. Don't think it's more spiritual to hold in your tears, even men. Despite what society has told you, it is okay to cry when grieving.
I know it is also normal for the flood of emotions to feel like a roller coaster. The feelings of despair and depression are not a sign we are unspiritual. Many prophets of God have asked the question “Why?” Even Jesus, our Savior without sin asked “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” It is normal to have these questions, but I pray that I, as well as all of you, remember that God is still here and wants to comfort us and heal our pain.
He will heal our pain, but He will also use our pain. He will use it to make us more like Jesus. In Isaiah 53:3 it states that Jesus was a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”. We can’t bypass that sorrow and grief and still expect to develop emotional and spiritual maturity; we must go through it so God can use it to bring us closer to Him, even if right now, the pain feels unbearable and probably will for a long time.
Dear God, I know from the verses above that You can “heal the brokenhearted” and “save the crushed in spirit”. You are the God of comfort, our balm in Gilead to soothe our wounds and help us recover. Thank You for that. Lord, please wrap us in Your arms and hold and comfort us in our times of grief and sorrow. I pray that we will put our faith in Your promises, trusting that our Heavenly Father knows best and will get us through whatever we face. I know You have a plan for each of us and pray that You will continue to provide us with hope for tomorrow. I pray that when we experience grief, sadness, loss, pain, etc…that You will restore our life and give us love, grace, hope and joy. I pray that we will remember that Jesus knows our pain and sorrow and is our source of healing and our source of life. Help is to know that You have a higher purpose for us, and are faithful to use our most painful times to mature us, to draw us into closer dependence on You. On a personal note…I don't know if time will ever help me, but I know You can. Please Lord, heal my pain and hurt so that I may rejoice in you. Thank you, Lord for always being here for me. I pray these things in Your holy name. Amen.
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