“Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.’”  Matthew 5:4 

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

How to Gain a Grip on Grief:

I Grief 

““When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long.”  Psalm 32:3 (NCV) 

“I was silent and held my peace to no avail. My distress only grew worse.”  Psalm 39:2 (ESV) 

A LAMENT:  a heartfelt expression of grief and sorrow to God 

Psalms of Lament

Psalm 3-7,9,10,12-14,17,22,25-28,31,35,36,38,39,41-44,51-61,64,

70,71,74,77,79,80,82,83,85,86,88,90, 94,102,109, 137, 139-143,145

He Griefs

“When Jesus saw Lazarus’ sister sobbing, and saw how all those with her were crying also, his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved... Then Jesus started crying. ‘See how much he loved Lazarus!’ they said.”  John 11:33-36 

“(Jesus) “He has sent me to comfort all who mourn, to give to those who mourn in Zion joy and gladness instead of grief, and a song of praise instead of sorrow.”  Isaiah 61:2-3 

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed.”  Psalm 34:18 (NCV) 

““I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”  Hebrews 13:5

We Grief

“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Galatians 6:2

“In Christ we who are many from one Body, and each member belongs to all the others... Be devoted to each other like a loving family... Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.”  Romans 12:5, 10, 15

““God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others with the same comfort we received from God.”  2 Corinthians 1:4 

“When Job's three friends…heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.”  Job 2:11

“Then they saw him from a distance…they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.”  Job 2:12-13 

No more Grief

““We don’t want you to be ignorant about believers who have died. We don’t want you to grieve like the people who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13

“God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away.”  Revelations 21:4

“These troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep focused on the things that can’t be seen.”  2 Corinthians 4:17-18