Dear Friends,
I was walking in my garden and when I brushed against the lavender plant the sweet smell filled the air. My thoughts turned to prayer for all the needs that come to me. My prayer today is that this letter to you will be a source of comfort if you are in a time of grief. My heart aches with you. I hope this letter will be like a bouquet of fragrant blossoms of lavender and lilies to bring calm and rest to your hurting heart.
If you know someone who is grieving I pray that this will be an encouragement to you to reach out to the hurting and minister to them. What can be done to make a difference? How can we demonstrate sacrificial love to our neighbors?
When we look in God's Word we see how Jesus responded to tragedies. Some situations that cause grief in the world happen through natural disasters, others from accidents and also some from the evil that exists in the world.
Psalms 34:18 says, " The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed." Often in these times of tragedy people are overwhelmed with questions, especially wondering why this happened. They try to find answers and often feel a need to place blame and guilt someplace. At times it can appear that an individual is acting as a self proclaimed prophet, bringing hurt to the hurting instead of healing.
In Luke 13:1-5 we see how Jesus responded to that line of thinking. The people were distracted from the real picture. Some people were suggesting that perhaps the tragedies had happened because of the sinfulness of the victims. In these verses Jesus answers this question by saying "No!" And then He went on to encourage them to draw close to God. He saw the greatest tragedy of all as being the death of someone who was not in a right relationship with God. He wanted them to search their own hearts and repent and draw near to Him.
In Mark 16:15 Jesus says, " Go into all the world and preach the Good news to everyone." In preaching the Good News we remember that we are in need of His grace in our lives.
Jesus should be our example. If you know someone who is mourning be a light to them, be kind to them, demonstrate love and compassion. God can show us practical ways to be a tool to bring the hurting to a place where they can find healing from Jesus.
Jesus has promises for those who are grieving. 1Peter 5:10 says, "...He will place you on a firm foundation."
John 16:33
" ...Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
Romans 12:15
" Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep."
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