You just said goodbye to your loved one. And yet, you are still here. Still thinking about them, more than ever. And you wonder if you’ll ever feel like yourself again. Grief is a painful journey. A solitary one. But knowing and thinking about what is true will help you in this state of grief. Here are five verses for the person in grief. Just tuck these away, and when you can, take them out and let their words bring you comfort and peace.
(1) “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
You might feel numb today. You may find yourself feeling numb for a while, but when you start to feel anxious, this is a perfect verse for you. This verse is a reminder that God cares about you, which means he cares about anything you are concerned with. So when you start to feel anxious, picture yourself handing that care into the large hands of God. He’s already aware of every single one. When someone you love dies, you’ll go through many feelings. Being overwhelmed is one of them. You’ll start to worry that you will not be able to make it without your loved one. If you’ve lost your husband, maybe he made decisions which are now yours to make. If you’ve lost your parent, you ache inside, just wanting to talk to them one more time. And if you’ve lost a child, you feel that part of you has died as well. And yet, God knows how you feel right now. He’s the only one who really does, no matter how many others claim to know. God made that heart of yours that is now shattered. Give him your cares.
(2) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You feel lost. You don’t understand how you will make it without your loved one. You keep trying to understand, but you can’t. God tells us to take whatever trust we have and put it in him. He tells us to lean NOT on our own understanding. And when we’re in grief, we understand even less. But you’re scared because you don’t know what your future holds. The good news is God knows. And not only does he know, he is willing to direct you if you ask. So today you might be scared, but know this: he’s waiting to lead you. Just take his outstretched hand.
(3) “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
You will feel all alone as you grieve. Even in a crowded room. And when there is no one around you, you will be tempted to think that God is not even with you. But this is not true. For God tells us he is near the broken hearted. And when we grieve, our hearts are broken in a million pieces. You may find that some people step back from you as you grieve. Please understand that those who step back just want things to be like they were before this loss. They feel helpless and they simply don’t know what to do. Other people may not want to enter into your grief. But even if you don’t feel like God is near, he is. And he’s not going anywhere.
(4) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
Strength. God will give you the strength you need to get through each day. And on days when you feel you just can’t go another step, God will carry you. God will also be your refuge. A place you can go and just hide in him. He will embrace you with his everlasting arms. He will be your safe place. You may not feel like it every day, but you will get through this. Not because of strength you have, because some days you are well aware that you have none. But because the one who holds you is almighty, all powerful, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God will be your strength and your place of refuge.
(5) “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14)
Grief is a difficult journey. You will have days when you do okay, and other days when you feel so weak. Anniversary days will come and they are difficult. And on all those hard days you can know you have someone strong to uphold you. When you can’t look up because of your heavy grief, God will gently lift you. God cares so much about us. Just like we care when our children hurt, God cares so much more. And once, when I was thinking about my sister’s murder, I asked God if he knew how I felt. And immediately, I remembered he knew better than anyone else could. His loved one was crucified. God knows. It makes sense that he would uphold us in our times of grief and that he would lovingly lift us up. Oh, how he loves us. Always remember that.