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November 4th, 2010

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Grieving with Hope

By Alex Miller

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"Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? "Selah" Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction? Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?"
  Psalm 88:10-12 NIV

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MANY TIMES IN the evangelical community we are taught that grieving is bad. That to hurt is to not trust completely.

It is OK for me to hurt and to hurt terribly bad. To cry out. To put God in the dock. To accuse Him. However, it is foolish for me to do so without hope. In a way, I can understand the psalmist's sentiments. Anger at God. Weakness. A desire to give up. These texts are seemingly hopeless in the context in which they are written. But there is hope.

Who is the One who has ever truly endured darkness (Psalm 39:13)? Who is the One who has worked wonders from the dead (Psalm 88:10)? Who has departed, and still has risen to praise Him (Psalm 88:10)?

Though hopeless in their context, in the greater context of Jesus, these verses are full of hope. Jesus conquered death. Jesus suffered the true darkness so that I can endure my momentary darkness. Jesus rose from the dead so that while I am dying now, I can fix my eyes on Him.

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When you are faced with grief or despair, how are you reminded of hope? Do you feel comfortable enough to share your grief with God?

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This devotion is adapted from an rticle on RELEVANTmagazine.com.

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