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bigmike

DAILY DEVOTION
NOTE: For the next 3 days I will be sharing devotions that my wife Leisa has written in the past for the women's newsletter here at Souls' Harbor Church. I pray they will be a blessing to you.
You will notice she signs each one at the end as "Pastor Mom". Since Leisa and I are Brad's parents, everyone here refers to us as "Pastor Dad" and "Pastor Mom".
How God Helps You in your Grief
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34:18 KJV
As you know we just finished Grief Share classes at church. I went to the classes with the intention of being a support and help for the Leader in any way that I could, but oh my, what healing God did in my life during this time. I thank God he knows just what we need and when we need it.
Our community together is going through so much heart break right now with all the destruction,loss of life and devastation in the last several weeks. I pray that each one will draw from the Lord during this time because His promise is to be close to us when we are broken and our spirits have been crushed.
Donnie had this devotion saved on his computer and I felt like sharing this as we journey through our grief.
Everyone will experience loss. And you don’t just “get over” a loss. You can’t go under it, can’t go around it, you have got to go through the grief. If you’re scared to express emotion and refuse to go through it, that’s where you get stuck.
You get unstuck by letting God help you. Here are a few ways He does that:
1. God draws you close to himself. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed.” Ps 34:18 (NCV). When you grieve, God may seem a million miles away. But what you feel and what is real are not the same thing. In fact, God promises he has never been closer to you than when you are grieving,
2. God grieves with you. The Bible says Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. (Isaiah 53:3). When you come to Jesus with your grief, He understands your pain.
3. God gives you a Church Family for support. We’re meant to grieve and heal in community through our church family. We are better together!! “ In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others…..Be devoted to one another in love…….Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who morn” Romans 12:5,10,15 (NIV)
4. God uses grief to help you grow. God uses grief and even pain to help you become more like Christ. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect, and entire, wanting nothing. James 1: 2-4
5. God gives you the hope of Heaven. If you believe in and trust Jesus Christ for salvation then you will spend eternity in Heaven with God and that hope will sustain you through your time of loss. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
6. God uses your pain to help others. This is called redemptive pain, and it is the best use of your pain. “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. “ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Thank you for all the prayers you have prayed for the grieving. Let’s continue to pray even more in the days ahead.
God bless you,
Pastor Mom

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