Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NIV

4 Key Bible Verses to Help With Grief

The days moved to weeks and my friend’s medical condition worsened. The inevitable phone call came from his wife, “He passed this morning.” Identifying with her because I have lost a husband, my words were, “I’m so sorry.” I knew better than to offer platitudes or ask “If I can do anything…” Instead, I asked where she was. I planned to meet to offer a hug and my presence. Practical help and words of encouragement would come later.

I’ve experienced the loss of parents, good friends, and a husband. In each, I grieved differently because the loss was different. The circumstances were different, and I was different. Today, if you are a griever, I offer thoughts to ponder. If you are a friend, perhaps this will help give you a window into grief.

Cry

It’s alright, more than alright, to cry. Jesus wept at the news of Lazarus. Jesus is described as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (Is. 53:3) God wired us to cry. The tears of grief are chemically different from the tears we shed from peeling an onion. They are designed to give us relief and feel better for a moment. He expects we will cry from our hurt and loss. God is aware of our sorrow and tears, and stores our tears in a bottle. Our tears are precious to Him. Don’t hold back your tears.

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 NLT

Pray

Perhaps you can’t think straight and only offer a one sentence prayer in your pain. Prayer is not only asking or speaking but sitting and soaking in the presence of God. Pray to receive and hear His words to you.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 NIV

Trust

Trust His plan and heart for you. He loves you with an everlasting love. His personal mercies will meet you at every turn because He is faithful.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam. 3:22–23 ESV

Give Grace

What? Give grace when you need grace”. Yes. God gives grace because He promises it and He keeps His promises. But in our times of grief, when we are at our lowest, we will have opportunities to give grace. People will say, “He’s in a better place.” — true, but right now you feel an empty space. “He’d want you to live again.” True, but right now you can barely put one foot in front of the other. It’s tempting to respond with irritation to the ill-suited words from well-meaning people. Give grace because God gives it to us.

Grief and loss affect everyone in all seasons and circumstances. We can’t deny it or dismiss it, because it makes us uncomfortable. It is real and it’s uncomfortable. But we will heal a little bit at a time because we have a God of all comfort who is always with us.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NIV

This devotion originally appeared on Devotable written by Marilyn Nutter

Devotable is a brand trying to spread the word of God to everyone around the world.

If you like what we’re doing, please connect with us. We love to hear feedback. Follow us on facebook, twitter, instagram or pinterest. Subscribe to our newsletter for daily devotions and news right in your inbox.

Also, please leave us a clap here on Medium to show your support!