The Grace of god in grief
-By Andrew Dikas
“He was despised and rejected- a Man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised and we did not care” (Isaiah 53:3).
Grief is defined as “deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death.” In 2022, I lost my oldest brother and we are still grieving his untimely & unexpected passing. It hurts but I know that there’s always hope. I KNOW that our Redeemer lives. There is always grace in all things because of the God we serve. Even in times of grief and suffering. Grief is something that everyone will inevitably experience at some point because we live in a fallen world that has been corrupted by sin. The Earth was literally cursed because of the poor decision Adam and Eve made (Gen 3:17). “When Adam sinned, the entire world was affected. Sin entered human experience, and death was the result. And so death followed this sin, casting its shadow over all humanity, because all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Jesus knew better than anyone else the havoc that sin brings into human life. He was despised and rejected, a Man of Sorrows, well-acquainted with deepest grief. Though He was sinless, and we were sin-Full, He silently suffered to bring salvation to all. He can identify with those who are weak and feel troubled by life’s circumstances. And, though He was God incarnate, who deeply loved humanity, He was hated and ultimately murdered by His very own people. Christ Himself suffered physically and carried our own sins in His body to the cross (1 Pet 2:24; 4:1). Christ is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). The word “slain” literally means mutilated. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. God made Him who knew no sin literally become our sin. God was in Christ healing and reconciling the world to Himself. God was in Christ bringing grace and peace to His people. God was in Christ bringing health and hope to the world. In times of grief, we must remember that we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weakness, pain, and suffering. When the Book of Hebrews says, “We have” (4:14), that indicates possession, forever… In the OT, the high priest of Israel passed through the courts and veils into the most holy place. Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, has passed through the heavens into the very presence of God, where He sits at God’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3; 4:14-15). Jesus lives eternally to sympathize, strengthen, and intercede for His people. Jesus even calls us intimate family members,”brothers and sisters”, whom He’s rooting for, proclaiming our names and situations to God the Father (Hebrews 2:11-12). You see, Jesus and us, the children of God, all have the same Father (John 20:17). We entered into eternal life and relationship with God when we believed (John 6:47; John 17:3) in Jesus. We entered into what I like to call; “The Everlasting Community of Love.” So, when we go through times of grief & suffering, we need only to look to the One who is already with us whose able to sustain us. We need to look to the One who is our Ever-present help in times of need (Psalm 46:1). We need to look to the One who gives us grace upon grace (John 1:16). His grace is sufficient in every season. His infinite power and love works in our weakness. But we must believe in Him. We must come to Him as we are. We must draw near to Him with sincere and hungry hearts, knowing that He is able to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 commands the child of God to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. In contrast to God’s command at MT. Sinai in Exodus 19:12, believers can now boldly approach God’s presence at any time and place. The writer of Hebrews is also expressing the openness of God’s call in Christ, “COME” (Revelation 22:17). As believers, we should courageously approach God in prayer because His is the throne of grace, and our High Priest sits at His right hand interceding for us. So, let us come to Him. He is waiting for us.
God loves you with an everlasting love. God bless you.
See additional Bible verses below:
“Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].
-Isaiah 30:18
“I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” -Lamentations 3:20-26
“For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.” -Lamentations 3:31-33
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. -Hebrews 12:2-3
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:10
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]”-John 16:33
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” -Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT
“You are precious to Me. You are honored, and I love you. “Do not be afraid, for I Am with you.” -Isaiah 43:4-5 NLT
“Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:28-31
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong. If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains.” -Proverbs 3:5-8
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” -Romans 8:26-28
“And lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20