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Deep Comfort in Grief
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Deep Comfort in Grief

by Lily Benson
written by Lily Benson

Let us seek solace and strength in the deep comfort in grief that Jesus offers. In Christ, there is eternal hope beyond our present sorrows.

What Does the Bible Say?

“A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

In your journey of faith, you are not immune to the pains of loss and grief, none of us are. The Bible acknowledges that there is a time to mourn, and Jesus Himself assures you and I that in those moments, we can find deep comfort in Him. This testimony from Sara is a beautiful reminder that God meets us in the broken places of our hearts, He comforts us with His faithful presence and holds us close in the midst of our greatest pains.

Grief is a natural and God-given response to loss. Whether it be the passing of a loved one like Sara experienced, the end of a season, or the shattering of expectations, it’s essential to acknowledge the pain, and not try to push it off or deny it’s existence. Psalm 34:18 (NIV), says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Jesus invites you to bring your sorrows to Him, for He understands your pain intimately.

Deep Comfort in Grief

Watch this beautiful testimony of how God’s grace and comfort met Sara as she grieved deeply the loss of her husband and best-friend, Wayman. Let her story of God meeting her in her time of greatest sorrow be a strength to you in your seasons of sorrow. As Sara pressed into the scripture in Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” She was comforted by the Holy Spirit. Sara was met by the Lord in so many ways and one of the ways was through creativity in the forms of painting and writing. God’s comfort became greater than the grief and now Sara uses her days with purpose to share her passion, Jesus!

Application

Trust – Trusting Jesus in times of grief is not about suppressing your emotions but surrendering them to Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) encourages you and I, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Even when circumstances seem bewildering, trusting Jesus means relying on His wisdom and sovereignty.

Lean In – Friend remember you can find solace by leaning into the comforting presence of Jesus. In prayer, worship, and meditating on His Word, you will draw near to the One who offers true and lasting peace.

Community & Support – God often provides comfort through the love and support of fellow believers. Galatians 6:2 (NIV) says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” As a member of a community of faith, be attuned to the needs of others, offering compassion, empathy, and practical assistance in times of grief.

Prayer

Lord, I come before Your throne of grace, and lift up those who are experiencing grief into Your loving presence. We acknowledge that You are the God of all comfort, the One who understands our deepest sorrows and joys. In this moment, we invite Your Holy Spirit to envelop the those in need of comfort with Your peace that surpasses all understanding.

May Your grace be a balm for their wounds, and Your strength be their foundation. In moments of weeping, grant them the assurance that joy comes in the morning. Let this prayer be a reminder that they are cherished by You, and that in Your care, they find refuge and hope.

In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

In seasons of loss and grief, remember that you are not alone. Jesus, the One who conquered death, stands ready to bring comfort, strength, and healing. Trust Him, lean into His loving embrace, and allow the community of believers to be a source of support. As we navigate the journey of grief together, let us find solace in the promise that God is close to the brokenhearted and that, in Christ, there is eternal hope beyond our present sorrows.

______________

Tune in to GOD TV for more testimonies of His incredible grace, or watch our live feed online here.

 

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Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King Shares About Dealing With Loss And Grief

by Le-Jovale Vallejo
written by Le-Jovale Vallejo

As the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King discussed how the Bible’s power impacted her life while she was growing up.

Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King

Being the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., she experienced what servant leadership really meant. She grew up watching her parents give their lives for others.

“I grew up in a household where serving others was not only spoken about but it was lived out. The scripture that was shared mostly in our household was: “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26, ESV).

Her mother and father lived lives of servanthood.

The Role Model Of Bernice A. King

“My mother invoked that quite often as an example of who my father was. It was always about thinking outside of yourself. People would rather see a sermon than hear a sermon,” she said.

She also shared that her mother had a huge influence on who she is now. She saw how the Word of God was lived out through her mother’s life. That was when the Word of God became her anchor as well.

READ: MERCY CULTURE WORSHIP LEADER SHARES WHY SHE DOESN’T LEAD WORSHIP EVERY WEEK

“On a day-to-day basis and especially in the area of service and forgiveness, she was able to transcend the pain and still extend a hand and a heart to those individuals. And just living with that, it gripped me,” she said.

Loss And Grief

When she experienced one loss after another, Rev. Bernice turned to the Word of God.

“I had to struggle for years with all of the anger that I had. I started developing hate for the white people because I felt like, you know, they killed my father. Some of that is because I am still grieving. The first loss, the second loss, the third loss, and several other losses,” she said.

But the Word of God stands true!

“There is a world that operates outside of this natural world that we all live in and see. That’s real. It’s more real than this world we’re in. When you operate out of scripture, out of God’s word, He’s obligated to honor it. His word will not return void…. There’s power in believing and lining yourself up with God’s word. That’s the most important thing about social justice today. It needs to be aligned with the Word of God,” she concluded.

A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King: His Word Does Not Return Void

Reference | YouVersion

Header image: Bernice A. King [YouVersion]. 17 January 2019, https://youtu.be/6xw6PLwtjGU

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Woman Hears God’s Voice For The First Time While Dealing With Grief

by Le-Jovale Vallejo
written by Le-Jovale Vallejo

“God is close to the brokenhearted.” A woman experienced this truth when she testified about dealing with grief and heard God’s voice for the first time.

Dealing With Grief

In a recent video, Katlynn McConville shared how experiencing loss twice in her life made her desperate to hear God’s voice.

It was the 18th of December when she heard that her life coach, who had been a very important role model in her life, had passed away.

“I got a text that Coach Way passed away, and she was a really big mentor in my life for my senior year. And we even kept in touch after high school. But unfortunately, I lost Coach Way, and I found out that she passed away when I was in the parking lot of a hospital for my grandpa,” she said.

She was still overwhelmed with the news when she got more bad news.

Her grandfather pass away the very next day.

Prayer To God

“A problem that a lot of people have when they lose somebody is that the first question they ask is, “Why? Why would You do such a bad thing for my family? Why would you let bad things happen to me or my family?””

She admitted that she had asked those questions, but later realized that God met her in the losses and drew her closer to Him.

READ: THE PASTOR DEALS WITH THE ISSUE OF PRETENDING TO BE OKAY WHEN WE AREN’T

“I think that’s when my relationship with God really started. I think God is the closest to you whenever bad things happen. He’s closer to you than ever. Wherever you go through hardships in life, like when you cry, Jesus cries. When you’re sad, Jesus is sad. He feels with you. Wherever you go through something, you’re never going through it alone, and He’s the only One that can turn evil into good,” she said.

Hearing God While Dealing With Grief

Desperate for God, Katlynn prayed to hear God’s voice.

“The first time I heard God speak to me was probably like four months after I lost my grandpa and Coach Way. And I was just in the car and I turned off my music. I was like, “God, please speak to me. I just have never heard Your voice before; I don’t know—I don’t even understand how to hear Your voice.” And for the first time, I actually heard God say a verse to me, and it was Matthew 11:28–30.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Header image: Katlynn McConville [underwaterflyzone.podcast]. Instagram, 13 July 2023, https://www.instagram.com/reel/CufrYciuJJR/

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Woman Journey with Grief
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Woman Walking Through Grief Receives Hug From Stranger After She Told God She Needed A Hug

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

A woman who was walking through grief after losing her mother received a hug from a stranger after she told God she needed a hug.

Walking Through Grief With God

In digital creator Flourish Ubanyi’s interview with Chimamaka Ige on The Shining Light Show, she shared how God walked her through the pain.

Woman Journey with Grief

The Shining Light Show. (Screenshot). (2023). A testimony of hope, healing & wholeness after loss, Retrieved August 18, 2023 from: https://youtu.be/QdyNhBo169Y

Chimamaka Ige is a writer and the Lead Consultant at Advance Co. She is well-known in the corporate world in Nigeria. But behind all the success is a story of God meeting her.

JESUS TANGIBLY VISITS 100 KIDS IN ORPHANAGE DESPERATELY WORSHIPING HIM EVERY NIGHT

When the Christian author lost her father, she couldn’t handle her pain well. As she shared with the host, as Christians, we don’t talk “enough about grief.” As a result, she felt like her negative emotions would affect her life as a Christian.

However, Chimamaka’s mother dealt with her with grace, love, and wisdom. For that reason, she allowed her daughter not to attend church for a while.

Process Your Pain With God

As a child, Chimamaka knew God was good and loving. That’s why when she lost her dad, she couldn’t grasp the thought of a good and loving God who allowed her father to die.

“And so the only thing I knew how to do was to just say to God, ‘You stay, I stay,’” she recalled. “We can work out the dynamics of our relationship later.”

And in the process, she saw how God carried her through the storm. She realized, “you don’t process your pain outside God. Because the only place you can get total healing is in God. So, your pain shouldn’t push you far from Him. Your pain should cause you to press into Him.”

A Hug From A Stranger

Later in life, Chimamaka’s mother passed away. It was a difficult moment. But during that time, she told God she wanted a hug from her mother.

“God, if only my mother were alive I just need a hug,” she thought.

Soon after, a lady came into the shop where she worked. Then the lady suddenly told her, “God says to give you a hug.” And so, the lady immediately hugged her. After the lady left, she cried, knowing God heard her and He answers her prayers.

What a loving and caring God we serve!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Flourish Ubanyi (@shininglight_flo)

Reference | Instagram – Flourish Ubanyi

Header Image: The Shining Light Show. (Screenshot). (2023). A testimony of hope, healing & wholeness after loss, Retrieved August 18, 2023 from: https://youtu.be/QdyNhBo169Y

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process your pain
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“Do Not Process Your Pain Outside Of God, Process Your Pain With God”

by Christa
written by Christa

Christians often sway from the Lord during painful experiences. But anointed speaker Chimamaka Ige has one powerful piece of advice for believers who are experiencing grief. She said, “Do not process your pain outside of God. Process your pain with God.”

Chimamaka Ige

Chimamaka went through so much before sharing with anyone what the Lord had taught her. Her father, who was a pastor and an eye doctor, was murdered inside their home in Oregon, Ikeja. Five years later, her mom also passed away.

Losing her parents affected Chimamaka significantly. But God held onto her. And as she chose to process her pain with God, Chimamaka learned valuable lessons that need to be heard by many Christians.

Process your pain with God

One, she explained how the devil uses these situations to isolate you from the community. She shared, “One thing the devil does is to make you feel that whatever challenges you are going through is exclusive to you. And so what does that do? That makes you withdraw. You become lonely.”

She continued, “You feel exempted. You feel disfavored. Who said so? That’s a lie.”

“The same healing power of God that can heal cancer can heal a hurting heart. It’s for the same purpose.”

Moreover, she pointed out that going through pain should never be processed outside of God.

But in the beginning, Chimamaka admitted that she stayed away from God. Because she couldn’t align her situation with the knowledge of who God says He is.

Eventually, she learned that the only total healing one can get is in God. “So, your pain shouldn’t push you far from Him,” she said.

“Your pain should cause you to press into Him.”

She further explained, “If you had an illness, would you go to a doctor or the mechanic? You would go to a doctor. And the Bible tells you that He is the Balm in Gilead.”

So, as believers, pain should not cause us to fall away from God, but deeper into Him.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Flourish Ubanyi (@shininglight_flo)

Header Image: Flourish Ubanyi [@shininglight_flo], Grief testimony, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/reels/CvXt0d0oBdc/

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Gospel Singer CeCe Winans Shares How She Handled Grief That Overtook Her Family

by Christa
written by Christa

Top-selling gospel singer CeCe Winans opens up about the loss and grief their family experienced and how they faced it with God.

Gospel Singer CeCe Winans

In an interview with Hoda Kotb, CeCe discussed how faith is essential in carrying us through life. When asked how she handles loss and grief, the singer still points to having faith in God. But, it does not omit the process of going through the pain to healing.

“Pain is pain,” she said. “Pain is rough. Grief is grief.”

She added, “You go through it one day at a time.”

When CeCe’s older brother, Ronald, died of a heart attack, it was a moment she knew that her family had to trust more in God. At the same time, how bravely her parents walked through grief astounded her more.

“I remember when my brother took his last breath. Actually, my father’s first response was his hands went up. I was just… I looked at him, and I’m just like, ‘What?'”

She continued, “We’re all crying, and right away, he began to just thank the Lord for the years we had Ronald.”

CeCe’s father immediately shifted to a heart of gratitude, “shifting the atmosphere to gratitude before depression could come in.”

“I’ll never forget that,” she recalled.

Moreover, she remembered when her sister asked her how they could make it without Ronald, and CeCe could only answer, “I do not know.”

“I do not know how we’re gonna make it, but I know the God that we serve,” she said. “This didn’t take Him by surprise, it took us by surprise, but it didn’t take Him by surprise. We’re going to trust Him to carry us through.”

“And then, it’s amazing how He begins to heal your heart.”

“I can’t really put into words how you make it through. It’s just that He is faithful,” she added.

Listen below for more of her interview with Hoda Kotb.

‘Making Space With Hoda Kotb’: CeCe Winans

Header Image: CeCe Winans [@cecewinans], Instagram, 15 Sep 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/CigIZJZPpL8/?hl=en

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Country Singer Granger Smith Opens About Grief, Faith & New Movie ‘Moonrise’

by Rhoda Gayle
written by Rhoda Gayle

Granger Smith opened up about grief, faith, and his new movie titled, “Moonrise.” 

Granger Smith

In 2019, country singer Granger Smith’s three-year-old son, River, died in drowning. The tragedy sparked a major growth in his Christian faith.

“[Before that,] I was a cultural Christian. It was a heritage for me. I could defend the faith, I understood the story of the gospel. I would have told you that I was saved by grace through faith, I would have told you who Jesus is. But I had never tested that. I’d never put that through the fire. I didn’t know what that meant to actually stand on that. And so when I first started putting that to the test and first started standing on that rock, I realized later as the grief got worse, and not better over time – and I ended up hitting rock bottom – I realized I was a cultural Christian.”

“Moonrise”

He then realized that he is loved and that he loves Jesus after a pastor preached John 14. Then award-winning singer really started diving into the Word of God.

“And I still do that every morning, desperate for His Word, hungry for His Word,” he said. “And that’s when it changed from cultural Christianity to I became an adopted son of our Lord.”

In his new movie, “Moonrise,” Smith saw how his story was similar to the character he plays, Will Brown. His role is a country singer who is grieving the death of his wife. He was attracted to the story right off the bat.

“Grief is good,” Smith told Christian Headlines. “… It’s a natural reaction to the love we have for someone that we lost. But when it turns into depression, that’s when it becomes self-deprecating, that’s when it becomes harmful to others and to ourselves. It goes beyond the actual cause of the loss in the first place. And it puts us in a holding pattern. That’s what we need to break, and we need to pull away from. And so yes, drawing on my own life experiences. I wanted to be able to become this character for others for that.”

Read also: PASTOR WARNS SAYING GOD IS NEVER ANGRY IS ‘UNBIBLICAL’

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Reference: Christian Headlines

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Widow in Grief
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She Lost Her Husband & Grief Overcame For Years, Until God Leads Widow To Fall In Love Again

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

A wife lost her husband to an illness, and grief overcame her for years. She held on tightly to God until He led her to fall in love again.

Sudden Loss Of Husband

Just after a year and a half in her marriage with Carmine, Christina gave birth to a baby girl named Roma. It was her husband’s dream to build a family. He loved her daughter so much. But as they were starting to build a family, Carmine began having severe headaches.

Photo Courtesy | YouTube – The 700 Club

Carmine’s frequent headaches worsened as time went by, so the couple visited a doctor. But the doctor diagnosed his headaches as merely stress-related, and they went home. But a few days later, Christian found her husband having seizures.

Still shocked, Christina called 911, and paramedics rushed her husband to the hospital. However, they arrived at the hospital too late. Carmine had already passed away due to massive swelling and bleeding in his brain.

Pain And Grief

On that tragic day, Christina lost her husband. The widow could barely handle the pain and grief she felt. Now, she was forced to face life without the love of her life and raise her daughter on her own.

Photo Courtesy | YouTube – The 700 Club

At that point, Christina began having questions, and she felt mad, angry, and in pain every day. Although raised in a Christian home with a strong faith, she was now tested. But in that darkest moment of her life, she experienced Jesus all the more.

SICK GIRL PRAYING IN A VIRAL VIDEO TURNS 10-YEARS-OLD

For years, Christina chose to cling to the Word of God in the Scripture to process her grief. Despite her questions, she didn’t turn her back on God. And it was because she wanted to show her daughter what trusting God looks like.

God walked Christina throughout the process until she became satisfied with having Jesus. Then one day, God opened an opportunity for her to fall in love again.

Watch what happened.

The Love of God Heals Young Widow

Reference | The 700 Club

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Mom lost daughter in school shooting
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Mom Who Lost 6-Year-Old Daughter To School Shooting Felt God’s Warmth Amid Grief

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

A mom who lost her 6-year-old daughter in a school shooting in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut, felt God’s warmth amid tragic and painful loss.

2012 School Shooting

On December 14, 2012, a 20-year-old guy, Adam Lanza, went on a rampage in an elementary school before taking his own life. He shot aimlessly inside the campus, which took the lives of 20 children and six adults. And one of the victims who died was 6-year-old Catherine Hubbard.

Catherine and her brother Freddie went to the same school together. So, when the mass shooting incident happened, both of them were in the school. However, Catherine didn’t survive the mass shooting. And it deeply broke the heart of their mom, Jenny Hubbard.

Experiencing God’s Warmth

After losing her precious daughter, Jenny felt devastated and went through so much pain that she didn’t know what to do. It was a very tough season for the whole family. But Jenny attests how it forced them “to depend more heavily on God.”

Amid the grief and deep sadness, Jenny always felt God’s warmth telling her, “I’m here.”

“He knows my disappointment and my heartache, and that’s okay,” the mom recalled. “Because God’s bigger than that.”

As years passed, God began to heal and create a new heart in Jenny. She then began to understand that Catherine was never hers in the first place.

“She God’s! He’s brought her home,” the mom proclaimed. Then she explained that all of us are still here on earth for God’s specific purpose.

“We’re here because we still have work to be done,” she added. “He has a purpose for us.”

Acceptance

Further, Jenny explained how she have come to accept that she can’t be angry about losing her daughter when her time on earth ended. She would want to see her, but the mom stressed how she also doesn’t want “to take heaven away from her.”

Many families and parents may be grieving right now as the mass shooting in an elementary school happened again but in a different place. May Jenny’s testimony bring hope and comfort to those who lost their children and loved ones in these trying times.

Watch the full story.

Navigating Grief after a School Shooting - "I miss her laugh, I miss her bear hugs"

Reference | YouTube – 700 Club Interactive

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Mom Who Had 5 Miscarriages Meets God Amidst Grief & Despair

by Christel Berns
written by Christel Berns

A woman writes a beautiful letter to the five children she lost to miscarriages, revealing how God powerfully met her amidst grief and questioning.

Pain Amidst Miscarriages

In a video shared by 700 Club Interactive, a woman whose name was not revealed, shared her painful yet beautiful story. Painful because of the miscarriages she had experienced. But also beautiful because God never failed to show up for her amidst her suffering.

Each pregnancy brought joy to the mom. That’s why when she lost each baby, it also brought great pain and despair to her. She struggled to carry a baby whenever she got pregnant. That is also why she lost three babies in the early years of her marriage.

The mom felt devastated, alone, and ashamed following her third miscarriage. She thought, “God was against me. Because He let other women have babies so easily.” And despite never meeting her babies, she named each one of them.

Feeling Abandoned

The mom felt like God abandoned her and lived wondering what she did wrong that it happened to her. But amidst the questioning and painful moments, God spoke to her through His Word. It was Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Hence, she held on to God’s Word regardless of how she felt. Although she finds herself directing her anger toward God at times, He still speaks gently to her and promises her hope.

Soon, God proved her wrong and successfully gave birth to two baby boys during the following years. However, she also had two miscarriages again during those years.

“It was a season of joy mixed with sadness,” she further added.

But God came through for her and experienced pure joy with her two sons.

“It was a miracle that I never thought would happen to me,” she remarked.

Watch the mom’s entire beautiful piece for her late children, and be blessed!

"I have named each one of you" - Finding God Amid 5 Miscarriages

Reference | YouTube – 700 Club Interactive

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