The thing about grief is that it can be a haunting pain that
is just under the surface everyday but intensifies during this time or it can
just punch you in the stomach when you look at the calendar on a certain day or
participate in something that triggers the pain. So you might be wondering why
in the world I would be talking about this now. Come on, it’s the holidays,
Ebony! And you would be right! But it means different things to different people.
Today, God made me feel those that mourn and He told me to tell you that your
freedom is in your release. He told me to remind you that death is not always a
verdict of how good or bad someone was. It was pre-determined and your sorrow was
covered by Jesus on the cross. He told me to encourage those of you that are
struggling to lift your heads and celebrate that He is able and He is present.
Sometimes your freedom from grief is in celebrating those that remain. Sometimes
your freedom is by choosing to live instead of wearing the grief. Sometimes
your freedom is in seeing the death as God’s victory instead of His punishment.
I was reminded of David’s words after the death of his son
in 2 Samuel 12. David had prayed and fasted and cried in hopes that God would
let his son live to no avail. The child died and instead of doing what people
expected him to do, David stopped crying.
Then David stood up, washed, anointed himself with sweet-smelling oils,
and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Eternal and worshiped.
Then he returned to his house and asked for food; and when it was brought to
him, he ate. Servants (to David): We
don’t understand. When your son was alive, you wept and you refused to eat; now
that he is dead, it is as if nothing is wrong—you are up and about and eating. David: While my son was still
alive, I wept and fasted with all my being because I thought to myself, “Who
knows? There is still a chance that the Eternal One will have mercy on me and
let my child live.” But now that he is dead, why should I continue
without eating? Will that bring my son back to life? Someday when I die I will
go where he has gone, but he will never come back to me here. (VOICE)
I was a little taken aback because I wasn’t sure that David’s
words were all that comforting. But I realized that God wanted me to speak to
your future. He wanted David’s words to remind you that the one that has gone can
no longer be who you want them to be or come back and change what is happening
in your life. But you have the opportunity to live in such a way that you see
them again. You have a chance to embrace what IS rather than being held captive
to what WAS. Isaiah 53:4a says that “For
sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows.” (NLV) What does that mean? It means that He was
thinking of you on the cross as you miss your mother. He carried you in His heart, as you
grieve your father. He bore your pain when you cry for your child. But He also
wants you to understand His desire is for you to walk in freedom in every part
of your life. It is not that He doesn’t know
your mourning because Jesus said “Blessed are
those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) The thing is, He
wants you to allow yourself to be comforted. He wants you to not mourn like
those that have no hope but rather be able to stand and rejoice in a future
hope. During this holiday season, may the joy of the Lord be your strength. May
the peace of God surround you and hold you up. And may the thought of Jesus
bearing your sorrow give you just what you need to press forward with victory. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning! (Ps. 30:5) Goodbye grief, my morning is here!
Amen
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