Grief is part of the human experience. We avoid it, we dread it, but we will all experience it. Grief, when it happens, changes us and our lives and our future. There is no retreat from the loss that caused our grief. We grieve because our lives have been changed forever….in a way we never imagined, never wanted.

Grief is our response to a terrible loss. It’s the right response to loss. How could we not cry when we lose someone we love? How could we not grieve when we are shocked by something that should never have happened? Grief is a right response to the loss. Tears are part of the grieving process.

Grief is also social. We grieve best in community. We need each other more when a loss happens and we gather together to grieve, to cry, to sorrow. Somehow community helps us deal with grief. We have an opportunity to talk about our loss, our pain, our hurt. We have a chance to cry with someone who listens and cares about us.

Grief, believe it or not, is a gift from God. He helps us through our grief to give us peace and comfort. What grief tells us all is that this is not the way it is supposed to be. What has happened to us that has caused our grief is not right, not the way we should live. And our response, as we grieve, tells us this is not the way we were designed.

Soon grief will be done away with. Tears will be dried. Reasons for grief will be permanently dealt with. Soon God will put death to death and grief will no longer be part of our lives. Until then he gives us hope, peace, a promise of eternal life ahead. Until then he gives us each other to hug, to cry, to grieve together. Until the day grief is put to death he gives us the promise of peace and life ahead. This is not the end…..grief will one day be swallowed up in joy.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

The post Grieving first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

How have we lost that thrill of life with God? How have we imagined that he would ever let go of us? Where did we get the idea that we can’t trust him? When did the thrill of living a life with God disappear for you? I think, for most I talk to the thrill of a life lived with God is a distant memory if they ever knew that excitement at all. How do we lose that excitement of living in relationship with the God who made us?

For me the thrill and excitement of walking with God, of knowing he has me in his hands, is often a distant memory. I’ve lost it in the mundane, in the necessary things of life. But with the loss of that excitement another emotion rises for many…we wonder if God will let go of us. Can we trust him to “hold on?” Am I safe?

If fear of a fall is part of life then you can’t enjoy the ride…..you simply don’t trust the hands that hold you. When fear and lack of trust replaces the excitement of a relationship with God then you’ve lost all joy of knowing God and living life with him. We must recapture trust and then can enjoy the thrill of the adventure once more.

Here’s what Jesus said, knowing how destructive our fears can be, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” Jesus knows we forget the fun of the relationship and easily fear the one who holds our hands. He wants us to know, “I will never let go! Enjoy the ride. I’ve got you! I love you too much to let go of you. Relax!”

Once we recapture that trust then fun begins again, we relax knowing that God loves us, promises to hold onto us and wants us to enjoy this life and walk with him. If, like me, you easily lose the thrill and excitement of a life lived with God and entertain fears of the fall then go to the Father, recapture that trust, revisit his love for you and realize that whatever you go through he will never let you go. Enjoy the ride!

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

The post He Never Lets Go first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

May I take the Thanksgiving theme a little further? One day is simply not enough for me to say thanks for God’s love, goodness and faithfulness to us. I can’t help myself, but must talk about it a little more. Will you indulge me for a moment longer?

I’m thankful to God for who he is, who he shows himself to be- good, loving and faithful. Those attributes show up in our world in three ways, 1. what he has done, 2. what he’s doing now, and 3. what he will do in the future. All three declare to a watching world that God is good, loving and faithful to his creation. Here are a few of the things I have noted in these thoughts. There are many more, but this will be enough for this post.

First, What God has done,

He created, Genesis 1:1. His goodness, love and faithfulness are shown in what he has made. All he made matches all he is. “Thank you, Lord, for what YOU made.”

He spoke, 2 Tim. 3:16-17. From the early pages of the Bible God is speaking to man, but for us the ultimate word from God is in your hands! God’s goodness is shown to us today, his love for us and faithfulness revealed in the word of God. God spoke and continues to speak to us through his word. “Thank you, Lord, that you didn’t leave us wondering about you, but you have spoken and we can know you because of your word.”

He redeemed, John 3:16. God’s revelation of his love, goodness and faithfulness are revealed in what Jesus did on the cross. He redeemed us! Now we can each know forgiveness of sin, peace with God and the promise of eternal life. “Thank you, Lord, for saving us! We are so thankful for giving us what we could have never earned on our own. Thank you for salvation!”

Next, let’s look at what God is doing,

He is drawing, 2 Peter 3:8-9, John 12:32, He wants everyone to be saved! No one is left out, everyone is sought, provided for and loved! “Thank you, Lord, that your love and salvation are for everyone. Thank you that you seek out each of us and desire that all men be saved.”

He is preparing, John 14:1-3, “Thank you, Lord, for telling us about what you are preparing. It’s so exciting to know that something amazing awaits us.”

He is sustaining, Col. 1:15-17, “Lord, thanks for holding us together. Thank you for keeping everything together and working out your purposes in this world.”

There are too many to count in each of these lists, but let me add just one more to this list,

He is interceding, Heb. 7:24-25, “Thank you, Jesus, for praying for us. You are so amazing to not only save us, but pray for us as well. We are blessed!”

And, last, here is what God will do in the days ahead,

He will return, Mat. 25:31-33, One day Christ will return. In that moment we will see his goodness, love and faithfulness with our own eyes as he comes to claim his children. “Thank you, Lord, that you are coming back! I can’t wait.”

He will rule, Rev. 11:16-17, The entire human race has lived under the rule of fallen men. One day the perfect king will set up rule over the affairs of man. “Thank you, Lord, that one day we will have a perfect king. Come, Lord Jesus.”

He will restore, Rev. 21:5, All we know is a fallen world. Even in this fallen world we see so many things to be thankful for. Imagine the world as God planned it….the world he designed restored to his blueprint. Then we will know fully his love, his goodness and faithfulness. “Thank you, Lord, that you promise to restore everything to what you made it to be.”

The best response we can offer?

“Thank you, Lord! We are so grateful that you are good, that your love never ends and that you are faithful to be do all that you have promised. We thank you, Lord. May our waking words each day be simply these, ‘thank you, Lord.’”

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