How to Know God’s Truth About Grief, Fear, Tears, & Joy
No one signs up to grieve!
Sometimes it comes as a surprise and other times we anticipate its arrival but the truth about grief is that … grief is always an unwelcome visitor.
It is also true that grief is just that—a visitor. By God’s grace, it is not a permanent resident.
I’m not saying that it doesn’t leave a lasting mark. Anyone who has experienced the excruciating pain of grief knows that it leaves a scar but the raw wound eventually heals.
Most Bible scholars believe that Psalm 126 was written to express the joy of God’s people returning to Jerusalem following a time of captivity…
When the Lord brought back His exiles to Jerusalem,
Psalm 126:1-2
it was like a dream!
We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to be held physically captive. It must be terrifying.
So, another thing I’ve learned about grief is that it feels a lot like fear. C. S. Lewis shared that truth when he wrote A Grief Observed…
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.”
Grief is typically associated with loss … the loss of a loved one, a relationship, an ability, health, etc. It is always associated with a major disruption of what we believed the future would hold.
I still remember a loss that left me curled up on the end of the bed crying, “I don’t know what to do now.” The future I had anticipated was gone and I felt lost in that loss.
You may be most familiar with verse 5 of Psalm 126…
Those who plant in tears
Psalm 126:5
will harvest with shouts of joy.
We have a choice any time we’re confronted with a season of grief.
We can run to God or we can run away from Him. We can plant seeds of faith in the soil of God’s love or we can plant seeds of doubt in the soil of the enemy’s lies.
I’m thankful that when I cried out to the Lord saying, “I don’t know what to do.” His Spirit whispered, “Look to my promises. Plant seeds of faith.”
So, I grabbed my Bible and spent the next few months devouring every word while prayerfully asking God to increase my faith and heal my heart. And He graciously answered my prayer.
I like the way the Psalmist talks about planting in tears because it is a process… a growth process. Healing doesn’t happen fast. In fact, it is a slow growth process but after some time I was able to live with joy again.
Recently, I’ve had several people comment on the joy they see in me. I thought of that when I read these words…
And the other nations said,
Psalm 126:2b–3
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
I think that’s why I have a passion for writing here at Counting My Blessings. I want everyone to experience the joy of God’s healing power. I want everyone to know that even when we plant in tears … when we plant them in God’s soil, by His grace, we will always harvest with shouts of joy.
Let’s pray…
A Prayer to Know and Live God’s Truth About Grief
Father, Your Word tells us that LOVE is who You are. (1 John 4:8) It must break Your heart to see Your children grieve because of sin and brokenness. This was not Your desire for creation. You wanted us to live with You in a perfect world but we chose sin, and sin brought pain, suffering, and death.
It’s easy for me to become afraid of the future and grief always makes me fear the unknown even more. I am tempted to fear loss, adversity, and ultimately the unknown. But there is no unknown to You.
You know what my future holds and You know that when I run to You and allow You to hold on to me … whatever the future holds, my heart and soul are safe in Your care. So, I will let my tears flow and I will plant them in the soil of faith trusting in Your love and care. Thank you for allowing me to know the truth about grief.
With Your Spirit’s help, I will patiently and intentionally watch as my faith grows. And I will hold on to Your promise that I will reap a harvest of joy in Your holy presence. What an amazing blessing it is to know that nothing in this life or the next can take the joy I have in You because of Jesus! So, I will lift Your name on high and praise You with all my heart now and always. Amen.
Author and Pastor Jack Wellman wrote…
“Joy is best sown in broken ground.”
Why? Because we can trust God with our grief. And because the truth about grief is that the Lord is able to use it in ways we cannot even imagine at the time.
So, let’s remember the following—Truth About Grief…
- Although grief is always unwelcome it is a temporary visitor.
- The emotion of grief feels a lot like fear.
- God has given us the freedom to choose where we plant our tears.
- When we plant our tears of grief in the soil of faith, God Himself will help it grow until it is able to be harvested with shouts of joy.
If you are grieving today, please let us pray with you and for you.
May the Spirit give you everything you need to plant in God’s soil and watch your faith grow into a beautiful crop of joy.
We would love to pray for you.
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Such a wonderful way to accept the visitation of grief and not lose hope, Deb. I know I’ve had my share of grief in my life, as we all have. Going to God with our tears will guarantee that we reap a harvest of joy.
Blessings!
What lovely words of encouragement when grieving. I have gone through several times of grief. My most difficult time was the loss of my mother. God has taken her pain away and is resting with him in heaven. Knowing God and the Holy Spirit will always help us during our time of grief to plant our tears in order to give us peace, understanding, and love.
Have a wonderful blessed day and weekend!
It is so difficult to say goodbye to our moms here. I am so thankful to know that it’s just for a time … until we meet again. I am also thankful that He is with us as we grieve. Thanks for your beautiful additions to our conversations. God be with you, my friend.
This post was very needed. You are right in saying grief comes in many forms. And, it is a source of fear too. This last year has been especially hard for me. At times the fear has seemed unbarable. But, through it all, I have learned so much more about faith in God and trust in God. It has brought me to a closer relationship with Him. And now, despite it all, I am feeling joy. I learned that there is a difference between joy and happiness. Joy is internal and is found in everyday things, some of the simplest things; like listening to the birds sing, watching the sunrise, seeing the stars in the sky, a gentle rain, and beautiful blue skies. I could go on and on, but it would take too much of this space.
With gratitude for you and your love and caring nature, I do hope that you and Rev. and your Sadie have a beautiful and safe weekend. Hugs to you my sweet friend.
I can read so much of my own journey in your words, Sue. Thank you for sharing them here. I am truly thankful that the Lord has continued to give us His peace and joy as we walk this journey. He is greater and His grace is sufficient. I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful weekend. God bless you, dear friend!
Thank You FOR SHARING Deb😊GREAT Inspiration For Those OF us Who HAVE lost Loved Ones And The Grief IS WORSE at The HOLIDAYS of course 😢. It is Wonderful 👏🏼♥️ that We HAVE our L-rd👑To help Us Thru Trying Seasons In Life . HES ALWAYS FAITHFUL ❗️G-d♥️Bless
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Cheri. The Lord is always faithful! Amen! May He be with you and bless you!