Read:
Psalm 52:8-9
“But I trust in your
unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” – Psalm 13:5
God
will turn our mourning into dancing. He will remove our burden and pour out His
joy upon us. Although our heart may fail us for fear about the future or grief
over the past, as we look to God, our heart will sing joyfully to Him and not
be silent, because of all the wondrous things He does for us every day. We will
give thanks to our God forever, and in turn help others with the wisdom He
imparts to us during this time of recovery (Psalm 30:11-12). However, it often takes
planning on our part to open our heart to His healing love.
If
we wait until the week before Christmas or some other holiday or anniversary,
our negative emotions may overwhelm and debilitate us. It is wise to come up
with a plan of action prior to special days and holidays, and not to wait until
they trigger our feelings of grief and loss. Plan a party and set a place for
your loved one. A friend of mine put a rose on an empty place setting for his
deceased mother during his wedding reception. Or you can get together with
others who experienced loss in their life and find comfort talking about your
loved ones, sharing photos and stories and praying with one another.
God gives rest to those who
are weary and heavy-laden (Matthew 11:28). He is our rock and fortress, our deliverer. We can
take refuge in Him. He is a shield, which protects us from the darts of
depression, and He is our stronghold and salvation (Psalm
18:2). He
comforts us in our affliction and revives us when we can barely breathe, or
hold our head up or even get out of bed (Psalm 119:50). As we follow a routine of daily Bible reading,
devotion and prayer, we can bless our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
for the mercies and comfort they give us during our affliction.
Our confidence in God does not disappoint us, because He pours out His love
in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives within us (Romans 5:5). We rest our faith, knowledge and eternal hope on God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 7:19; Acts 26:6). God knows exactly how
we feel and He cares even if people do not. When our soul is sad, downcast and
disturbed within us, we can put our hope in God and praise our Lord and Savior,
even in the negative circumstances of our life (Psalm 42:11, 43:5). We wait expectantly for our blessed hope, the glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus, the Messiah (Titus 2:13; Acts 24:15).
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, great
is Your mercy and grace. You gave us a new birth with a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You are our future and our
inheritance, which can never perish, spoil or fade away (1 Peter
1:3-4). You know and care about what we
have lost (2 Corinthians 5:11).
We place our faith and hope in You, because You raised Christ from the dead and
gave Him great glory (1 Peter 1:21).
We share in His inheritance with all the Saints of God (Romans
8:15-17). Dear God of Hope, fill us with
all joy and peace, as we trust in You.
Thought for the Day:
We will overflow with hope
by the power of God’s Holy Spirit within us. - Romans 15:13