To all who mourn in Israel,he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,a joyous blessing instead of mourning,festive praise instead of despair.In their righteousness, they will be like great oaksthat the Lord has planted for his own glory.
Isaiah 61:3
What do you do when you’re experiencing loss—of a loved one, a relationship, or even a dream?
I’ve spent lots of my life repressing grief, or experiencing it in true isolation. I believed that my negative emotions were inconvenient or burdensome—too messy to share even with God. I would try to distract myself from those emotions. And if anyone would ask me how I was doing, I’d usually explain why everything was going to work out fine… and so I was also fine! I became good at hiding. Perhaps you’ve been good at hiding in some way, too.
But our grief is not inconvenient to God. Throughout the scriptures, we don’t see God turning his face from our heaviness. Instead, we see Him drawing close to every broken heart. We see Jesus weeping with Mary and Martha as they mourn their brother Lazarus in John 11:35. We hear that God collects every one of our tears in Psalm 56:8. And here in Isaiah 61:3, we receive a promise that God will take our deepest pain and exchange it for something beautiful. This verse even calls the mourning righteous!
Our sadness matters. We don’t have to perform or hide from God. Will you open your heart to Him today? You can cling to the promise that He’ll never leave you in your mourning or your heaviness. He is faithful to keep His promises. He will carry you through the depths of your emotions, to a place of restoration and joy. And He will make his glory known through your life.
Kristin Weeks
Thank you for your nearness, Lord. Open our hearts to your love for us today, and help us to trust you more fully with our thoughts and feelings. God, we believe that you are for us and you are writing a beautiful story in our lives for your glory. Thank you for your promise of restoration!
