As Christians we aren’t immune from heartache and grief. No, but we do have the Promised Holy Spirit to comfort and to console.
The last few days I have experienced a personal grief that I have only shared with my family and a close friend. What do we do when the tears flow and our hearts ache? How to deal with loss?
Jesus wept!
His friend had died and now Jesus was with the sisters and friends who were in mourning, and He wept. This wasn’t the only occasion that we see Jesus weeping. He wept over the residents of Jerusalem and their rejection of Him. He wept in the garden knowing His life would be given as a sacrifice for sins and He would experience a temporary separation from the Father.
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5 KJV
Jesus wept.
When His disciples were facing their greatest time of sorrow, He promised them a Comforter.
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—17 The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 AMPC
Jesus says another Comforter. He had been the One to comfort and encourage them for the past three years. He had calmed their fears, healed their family members, showed them how to face adversity and verbal persecution.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble. 19 He sent Me to tell of the time when men can receive favor with the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 NLV
Now, He would be leaving but He would not orphan them. He sent them, and us, a Comforter who would live with them constantly, individually and collectively. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion.
God doesn’t ignore or discount our heartache and grief. He carries it and He heals it.
“You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them.” Psalm 56:8 CEV
One of the things that will make heaven, heaven, is that there will be no more tears, no more sorrow and no more pain.
“Yes, God will make his home among his people. 4 He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever. 5 Then the one sitting on the throne said: I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted.” Revelation 21:3b-5 CEV
Until then, remember Jesus wept. He knows our sorrow and grief and He has sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter.