When Sorrow Feels All-Consuming…
God’s Word speaks thoroughly and abundantly into every season of the heart. As we study His Word, we learn that within its pages are found the ultimate source of comfort and peace for the sufferer. In this series, we will seek to carefully and compassionately apply these ancient, scriptural truths to feelings and experiences that are common in grief.
Have you ever been upset with someone, and the longer you hold it in the more hurt, mad, or offended you become? I have. Then, when I have the conversation to voice my feelings, I feel better afterwards and can move on.
It is the same way with the Lord. When things happen in life that don’t feel fair or right—like the death of our babies—it is easy to get mad at the Lord and blame Him. Because He is God, for a long time I thought I couldn’t express my disappointment to Him. I know others who have let their hurt cause them to walk away from the Lord. I also know people who let unresolved conflict with a spouse, family member, or friend be the death of the relationship.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In the Bible, David, whose infant son died, is well known for lamenting his woes to the Lord. He often questioned the Lord about why he was suffering.
My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
-Psalms 22:14-15 (NLT)
When David poured out his heart to the Lord, he didn’t mince words. He was honest with how he was feeling.
Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.
Psalms 31: 9-10 (NLT)
Again, David didn’t delicately vent to the Lord. He was open, honest, and real with Him.
But, David didn’t stay in that place of complaining and lament. While David was a master at expressing his emotions to the Lord, he always ended up coming to a place of praise—thanking the Lord for His faithfulness.
David finishes out Psalm 22 with these words:
I will praise you in the great assembly… All who seek the Lord will praise Him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. Our children will also serve Him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything He has done.
Psalm 22: 25-26, 30-31
Wow! Those last verses are a far cry from,“You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.”
Likewise, David closes out Psalms 31 with one of my favorite verses.
“So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!”
When we are grieving, it is okay to express our anger, sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness to the Lord. He’s a big God and He can handle those emotions. After all, He created them. But let’s follow David’s example and not stay in that place. Let’s thank the Lord for His faithfulness and mercy. Let’s ask Him for strength and courage. Let’s ask Him to heal the hurt places in our hearts and fill us with the hope and joy His Word promises us.
Those who plant with tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
-Psalms 126:5
Dear Hope Mom, go ahead and plant your grief with your tears. Let them mingle with the soil of your crushed and broken hopes and dreams. Then, let your tears water the tender sprouts of hope as you allow the Lord to meet you where you are. The Lord is the Master Gardener who supplies the “Son” and the wind of the Holy Spirit to minister to your raw, doubting, and tender places. Soon, you will be reaping a harvest of hope with shouts of joy.
Trust me, I know! Twenty-five years of missing my son has shown me God’s faithfulness in trading my hurt for His hope. It will for you too if you trust Him.
- Shelly
Hope Mom to Zachary Robert
Shelly D. Templin is an author, speaker and blogger that shares a message of hope—with humor. She has three daughters, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter. Shelly lives in Texas with her husband, Jack, of 29 years and their two dogs.
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