Hope in the Midst of Grieving

by Amy Schmitz Ruiz

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” –1 Thessalonians 4:13

As Christians, we don’t grieve like those who have no hope. But what is it about being a Christian that allows us to grieve differently than the rest of the world? How is our experience of grief and tragedy different than those who do not know Christ?

The Psalms are probably one of the most helpful places in the Bible to turn to when processing grief. Psalm 139 is one of my personal favorites, and it shows us how things can be different for the believer.

The first six verses affirm God’s omniscience. God is all-knowing. God intimately knows each one of us (Ps. 139:1). He knows our words and our thoughts even before we speak them (Ps. 139:4). When I go through waves of grief, my thoughts can get dark or are colored in worry. Most of these thoughts are not ones I want to share with other people, but God already knows our thoughts. He has searched us and knows us. “Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely” (Ps. 139:4). And so, in our grief, we do not need to hide our thoughts from God. As believers we are not alone because we can go to the Lord in prayer and just lay our burdens before Him.

In Psalm 139:7-8, David confesses that there is nowhere he can go that God is not there with him. God is omnipresent. David is talking about more than just physical location. He is saying that God is with him wherever he is bodily, spiritually, and emotionally. God is not only near to David, but God’s right hand holds him firmly.

Grief can make me feel like I don’t have it in me to keep going. With God holding me securely in His grasp, He helps me to keep moving even when I don’t feel like it. God is the one who can help us keep our faith and keep living despite whatever circumstances we are facing. Jesus gave His life to redeem us, and so the comfort we have as believers is that no matter how we are feeling, Christ will not let us go.

As a believer, I know that God is sovereign, meaning that He controls all things. He rules not as a distant Creator with no interaction with His creation, but as a gracious King who oversees every aspect of life. Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” God is sovereign over even the number of days we will have life. With the recent passing of my dad, I see so clearly how his days were perfectly numbered and how God has a plan for each of our days. We might not understand all our circumstances, and questions of why can consume us, but one day it will all make sense even if that day is on the other side of eternity. Knowing God has a perfect plan brings me hope. Our place is not to know all of God’s purposes but to trust Him, even if we don’t understand.

Therefore, in grief or walking through tragedy there are three truths to hold onto: God knows, He is there, and He has a plan. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). It is through Jesus, in His finished work on the cross, that I find comfort while walking the path of grief. I trust you can and will find it in Him as well.

Dear God, please be with all those who are mourning, and comfort those who are experiencing all forms of loss or tragedy. Assure them of Your presence and bring them a peace that surpasses understanding. Amen.