Devotionals for the Heart: When and how grief can be good for us

Good Grief
A devotional by Kayla de Jong

“Jesus wept.”

— John 11:35 (NIV)

What is grief? Some people would describe it as a dark night. But there is hope!

Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky who was critically acclaimed as one of the greatest novelists in the literary world, once said, “The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God!”

After unexpectedly losing my mom when I was only 21, I found myself wrestling with God in my grief. Hopefully, the insights I have gained on my grief journey can benefit you as well, even if you are not grieving the loss of a loved one. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of grief is “deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement.”

I’ve learned that grief is not just about death; it is about loss. Perhaps you are grieving losing a spouse through divorce or the lack of relationship with a child or the decision a friend made to stop following Jesus Christ. I believe grief is a good thing if done the way God intended. And knowing how to grieve in a godly way can not only help you grieve but also prepare you to walk with others in their grief journeys.

Let’s read Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NIV). It says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.”

Knowing that there is a season for everything—happiness and sadness—comforts my soul. I am comforted to know that God does not expect me to feel happy all the time. To me, these verses give Christians the permission to have what society deems “negative” emotions. While this is not a devotional about emotions, I will quickly say that I don’t think God views our emotions as good or bad. However, I think what matters to Him is how we handle them and how they affect our behaviors and relationship with Him and others (and ourselves). Ecclesiastes 3:4 supports this idea by declaring weeping and mourning appropriate for certain times. Notice how we are not instructed to always dance and laugh.

Another concept that has helped me understand grief from a biblical perspective is that God grieves too. And knowing that God expects me to manifest characteristics that are His, this means God expects me to grieve as well. Let’s talk this through: Jesus Christ wept on His way to raise His friend Lazarus from the dead, knowing fully well that Lazarus would soon be alive again. Yet He wept (John 11:35). Why? I believe He was not only showing His followers that it is okay to grieve, but I also love the footnote found in the Amplified version of The Holy Bible that suggests Jesus was angry at the sorrow induced by death.

Now let us look at biblical instruction on grief in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (AMP), which reads, “Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life].” In other words, Christians can grieve but not without hope. We know if we continue to follow Jesus Christ then we will be reunited in Heaven with our fellow Christians who have passed away and are no longer living on Earth. When we are in Heaven, we will be fully healed and holy in the Presence of God. Simply put, in the midst of our bereavement, we can choose to rejoice that God has provided a means to eternal life with Him that is far better than this life on Earth.

So, based on these few biblical examples, it seems that grief is an appropriate response to death. God, even though He is omniscient, and death is no surprise to Him, grieves too. However, it is clear that we are not to view death as “the end.” Instead, let it serve to remind you of eternity and salvation and hope from God.

Let’s Pray: God, thank You for giving me hope while I am grieving and let me share this with others who have lost someone or something important to them. Thank You for the time I had with my loved ones who have passed away. Help me to have a healthy perspective on grief. Thank You for comforting me, Lord, when I am sad. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Light of that City” by Allison Durham Speer. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Hi! I’m Kayla de Jong! 

I’ve lived in Indiana my whole life and was blessed to have been raised in a Christian household. I have an associate degree in library science and have worked in various libraries for over six years. I love reading and writing!

I have mostly written poems, some of which were published in the compiled works of a local writers guild. I am in the middle of seeking a new career. I would love to be an author, artist, or journalist. But most of all, I would love to be a stay-at-home mom someday.

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Connect with Kayla:
E-mail: kaylagmcdaniel@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Jesus Christ is The Good Shepherd for humankind

The Good Shepherd
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“I am the good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 

– John 10:11 (TLB)

One of my favorite images of Jesus Christ is one that seemed to be hung on the wall of every Sunday school classroom I entered as a child.

It was a familiar one to me that pictured Jesus carrying a lamb on His shoulders. I must admit that all I knew about sheep is that you count them to fall asleep at night. So, I spent some time on Google reading about them. I discovered some interesting facts in my reading.

I learned that in biblical times there were two types of sheep pens. There was a permanent pen that was constructed of stones with one entrance so narrow that only one sheep could enter at a time. This allowed the shepherd to easily count the sheep as well as to assess their physical condition. The second type of pen was a rather makeshift one constructed out in the field with whatever the shepherd could find to piece together. The shepherd would lie down across the opening, creating a “human” gate of sorts to keep predators at bay.

What images of Jesus does this conjure up in your mind? To me, as the “gate” in the permanent pen, He keeps track of us and monitors our condition. On the flip side, as the temporary gate, He protects us with His life and body.

As well as proclaiming that He is a gate for the sheep, Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd". He mentions some of the characteristics of a good shepherd: someone who knows his sheep and calls them by name, someone whose voice the sheep recognize, and someone who would lay down his life for his flock.

Jesus knows us completely, and that is a comforting thought to me. But, let’s look at it from the other side. What kind of knowledge do you have of Him? Do you recognize His voice?

As part of knowing us, the Good Shepherd (Jesus) calls us by name and was willing to lay down His life for us (His flock). In John 10:28 (ESV) we read, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Take a moment to ponder the depth of that kind of love.

As we join our hearts in prayer, meditate on these words from 1 Peter 2:25 (TLB): “Like sheep you wandered away from God, but now you have returned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls who keeps you safe from all attacks.”

Let’s pray: Forgive our wanderings, Jesus. Thank you that you search for us and always bring us back into the fold and into your loving arms. In your name I pray. Amen.

*Note from Alexis: Kay’s devotional reminds me of this song based on Psalm 23. Listen to it on YouTube here.

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Author Bio:

Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize that words can have a unique power and beauty.  

Choosing to share those words in her devotional writings has become a joyful and rewarding experience for her. As a widow, she feels a special affinity towards those who are grieving or experiencing loss.

When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.

Kay is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.

She is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Kay enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/

Devotionals for the Heart: No Law

There Is No Law
A devotional by Allison M. Wilson

Key Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 25:2, Philippians 4:4-8 (NASB)

We’ve come to the end of the Fruit of the Spirit, and I have to say, God’s shown me some pretty neat things about these gifts. The progression of them has such deep meaning. I look forward to letting Him bring out more and more.

The last line in this particular set of verses has always been interesting to me: “…against such things there is no law.” Why would that need to be said? Who could think any of these fruit would be a bad thing? I mean, love is what makes the world go around, right? And kindness has had movies made about it. Songs are written about these qualities, so why point out that there isn’t a law against them?

Christ knows we are dense sometimes. I don’t say that to be mean. It’s a reality. We see the Word repeating things … a lot. That’s because we need it to be repeated. Just once isn’t enough. Repetition is how we learn. There are some who say that it takes 7 or 8 times of hearing something you’d like to remember before it starts to stick. It would have taken a lot of space to repeat all of these fruit here in the section.

We need something to snap us out of our stupor and make us pay attention. The Word says that it’s to the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to seek it out. I think this might be one of those places. Why is it important for Christ to tell us there’s no law against these fruit?

Whether we all agree what it is, we’re all born with a moral compass. One person’s may be different than another’s, but everyone has something in them that tells them something is right or wrong. Yet, don’t we see great wrongs being done every day, and by those who should “know better?” At that point, what do we tend to do? We judge that person’s walk, their faith, their relationship with God. God alone knows the heart, however, we feel we have seen enough to make a judgment on that person, sometimes based on less than a minute of time.

What if we attach the fruit of the Spirit to those situations? Since there is no law against them, put love alongside the issue. Where does that leave you in the situation? And joy? Or faithfulness? Oh, don’t forget peace.

We can’t exhibit too much of any of these things. Honestly, we can’t exhibit any of them on our own. But, Christ wants these to be our first line of defense against all the things that come at us each day. We are strengthened when we know and walk in His love. That springs joy up through us, and spills out on those around us. We’re peaceful, making everyone feel at ease or welcome, solely due to our encounters with the love of God.

I see nowhere in Scripture where we’re told to dwell on our past…our sins. What I do see are several lists of positive things that God wants us to focus on for a huge benefit. We gain a guarded mind and heart when we do. Who here needs that today? All of this stems from knowing there is no law against, and no reason not to have, these fruit freely flowing through us. They are the very essence of Christ living in us to a world that desperately needs His love. Be fruitful, and multiply.

Let’s Pray: Dearest Jesus, we know Your ways are better. We know the Fruit of the Spirit that You’ve given us are for our benefit, but they are even more for others. Let there be no boundary on how Your Fruit are used in and through us for Your glory. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

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Author Bio:

A very early reader and lover of the written word, Allison M. Wilson has been writing since the age of eight with the heart to impart stories and God's truth. 

She has judged countless contests for the last 25 years, reviewed for several online publications, professionally edited, and written articles and devotionals.

Wife, mother, writer, editor, teacher, mentor, and mompreneur, God keeps her busy while living in east central Florida with her family.

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Connect with Allison:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonmwilson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amwilson