Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world (C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain).
God intended for us to live in a sin-free Garden, but we chose a different path. As CS Lewis observed, God uses pain to redirect our focus to Him. One of the most profound pains we feel is grief — the pain of loss or substantial change.
In times of grief, God reminds me that this world is temporary and something better awaits. Grief may feel endless, but it is not permanent. Even if tears of loss persist until death, God assures us they will be removed in heaven. These tears remind us of the better future awaiting us in eternity. As the old hymn says, “Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.” Or, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.
Framing our grief in the right perspective strengthens our relationship with God.
Grief draws us closer to God
The Psalms provide comfort during grief because David turns to God amid trials. In Psalm 6, he expresses his sorrow:
I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies (Psalm 6:6-7).
David used his grief to strengthen his bond with God:
Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication, and the LORD will receive my prayer” (Psalm 6:8-9).
Psalm 42 expresses the longing for God in the midst of heartache:
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’ When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me… Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance (Psalm 42:1-5).
If we will allow it, grief can draw us closer to God.
God shows compassion for the brokenhearted.
Jeremiah wrote Lamentations after Jerusalem’s destruction. Walking the empty streets, he noted,
For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. He does not afflict willingly, nor does He grieve the children of men” (Lamentations 3:31-33).
Amid sorrow, we can trust in God’s mercy. Even in tears, hope remains.
God does not overlook our grief. On the contrary, He wants to heal us.
- The Psalmist states, “(God) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
- Jesus adds, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
If you have suffered loss, God understands your pain. He will comfort and heal you.
Jesus came to heal broken hearts
Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate response to grief, pain, and suffering. Isaiah 53:3 describes Him as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”
During His ministry, He sympathized with those mourning the loss of loved ones. In Luke 7:12-13, a widow’s only son had died. Jesus saw her and said, “Do not weep,” and raised her son from the dead. In John 11:33-35, Jesus wept for a grieving friend, showing His deep compassion. These moments illustrate His empathy for those in distress.
Jesus also experienced loss and rejection. His hometown of Nazareth turned against Him (Luke 4:28-30). Many disciples abandoned Him (John 6:66), and even His family questioned His sanity (Mark 3:20-21; John 7:5). The nation of Israel largely rejected Him, as noted in Isaiah 53:2-4. Jesus understands the pain of rejection and loss.
Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1). Hebrews 4:16 assures us that help is only a prayer away:
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.
Jesus knows our pain and is ready to help us in our time of need.
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