Daily Devotion - Psalm 34:18 - Finding God in the Grief
When we are sitting in our sorrow and drowning in tears, God doesn't abandon us - He leans in closer.
I lost a friend today.
As I write this, the grief is beginning to run its course and I still can't fully believe it. The memories are still fresh, their voice clear in my head, and didn't I just see them recently?
Perhaps the most painful part of grief is not the loss of the person, but how it always feels like we've lost everything. Suddenly, our entire world is distant and foreign - family, friends, activities we enjoy, even God. When the funeral is over and the flowers have wilted, we are left with a silence that is deeply profound to the point we believe that even God Himself has left us to weep alone.
In times of palpable grief and suffering, it is especially important to remember what Scripture tells us.
[Psalm 34:18 ESV] 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
When we are sitting in our sorrow and drowning in tears, God doesn't abandon us - He leans in closer. His presence isn't always loud or obvious, but it is there, weeping with us as we emotionally process our grief.
[John 11:35 ESV] 35 Jesus wept.
When His friend Lazarus died, Jesus went to Bethany to comfort Mary and Martha. The shortest verse in all of Scripture holds the most profound teaching. In these two words, John takes us directly into the heart of God Himself as He weeps with His friends over the death of their brother.
He didn't abandon them. He didn't approve of Lazarus' death, any more than He approves of anything the curse of sin does to any one of us. In fact, He hates sin and death even more than we do, and He weeps over our sufferings as He sits with us in the silent space of our hearts.
Grief is not a place God avoids - it's one of the places He enters most fully. You don't have to pretend to be okay in His presence. Let yourself be honest. Cry, sit still, yell if you need to. He can handle it - and He will carry you through it.
Question to Consider
What griefs or sufferings have I not allowed God's presence to come in, weep over and heal?
Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, I'm broken. I don't even have the words right now to express what I'm feeling, but You know exactly what I'm going through and what I need. You gave Your life on the cross so that one day sin and death will be no more, and You will wipe every tear from our eyes. Please wipe mine now. Amen.
