I lost a loved one. How can the Bible comfort me?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

When we lose a loved one, God and His Word can be our greatest source of comfort, peace, and encouragement in the midst of our pain. The Bible tells us that God desires to comfort us in times of deep sadness and loss. God will also bring us peace during times of mourning. Though we may feel alone in our grief, the Bible tells us that God is close to those whose hearts are broken and that He will guide us through these times. In the New Testament, we read of times in Jesus’ own life where He experienced personal loss, and we can know that He understands exactly how we feel with ours. We are also reminded in the book of Revelation that a day will come when we will be with Christ in Heaven and will experience no more loss, sadness, crying, or pain. Scripture tells us that God Himself will wipe away all our tears, and if our loved ones also believed in Christ, we will see them there, too.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• According to Psalm 23:4, God acts as a shepherd, guiding us during times of grief and loss.
• Psalm 34:18 comforts us with the knowledge that God is close to us when our hearts are broken, so we are not alone in grief.
• Psalm 56:8: God knows our tears. He does not ignore them or forget them.
• Psalm 46:1-2 : Even when our grief feels overwhelming to the point where we feel we cannot go on, God will give us strength, just as He did to Israel.
• According to Psalm 116:15, the death of the Lord’s saints, or faithful servants, is very precious in His sight. When we lose a loved one that believed in Christ, God’s heart is moved along with ours.
• The prophecy God gave Isaiah in 53:3 describes Jesus as “a man of sorrows” and one “acquainted with grief.” Jesus experienced loss in his life, and He fully understands the pain of loss we feel.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• John 11:35 describes Jesus weeping at the death of His close friend Lazarus . The word “wept” in this verse does not mean to only shed a few tears but instead to cry deeply. . Jesus’ grief at the loss of one of his closest friends reminds us that He has experienced exactly what we do when we lose someone we love .
• Jesus reminds us in John 16:33 that we will have trouble and grief in this world but that He has overcome the world. This strengthens and encourages us during painful times.
• 2 Corinthians 1:3: God is the God of all mercy and comfort, providing us both in times of loss.
• In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he explains how God comforts us by means of other believers at times, as Titus comforted Paul.
• First Thessalonians 4:13-14 reminds us of our eternal home so that when we lose beloved believers we do not grieve as though we have lost them forever. We know that they have eternal life and that, because of Jesus’ resurrection, we will see them again in Heaven.
• 1 Peter 1:8-9: Our salvation in Jesus gives us hope and joy during difficult and painful times in our lives because we know that our souls are redeemed and we have eternal life in our future.
• Our ultimate hope and joy comes from knowing that when we reach Heaven, God will “wipe away every tear from” our eyes and welcome us home to a place with no more crying, pain, or loss (Revelation 21:4).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Losing someone we love is one of the hardest things we can face in life. The pain feels like it will never end, as if we will never find comfort in the midst of it. But God is the greatest source of comfort we will ever know, and He wants to provide that to us. Jesus understands the pain of loss from His own life on Earth, and He can fully empathize with what we go through when someone we love is gone. He will provide guidance, peace, and strength as we journey through the pain . During our grief, we should not neglect prayer. We need our connection with the Lord more than ever when in grief. We can pray to Him for strength. Prayer helps us to connect with our Creator, who loves us and will comfort us in our sadness. Besides prayer, those who believe in the promises expressed in Scripture know that, through our salvation in Christ , we will see believing loved ones again in Heaven. We’re also promised that in eternity, we will never experience any kind of pain, sadness, or loss again. That hope is something we can cling to even when it feels like everything else falls apart.

UNDERSTAND

• The loss of a loved one is extremely painful and overwhelming.
• God will provide us with comfort and peace during our times of mourning and grief.
• Our salvation ensures an eternal home for us that is full of joy and absent of all pain and loss.

REFLECT

• How have you experienced God’s presence when you’re grieving?
• How does knowing that Jesus experienced personal loss change your understanding of Him during your own grief?
• How does the promise of an eternal life with no pain or loss impact your perspective on the loss of loved ones?

ENGAGE

• How can we support each other with godly comfort and empathy when someone faces the loss of a loved one?
• How can we remind each other of the hope of Heaven and reunion with saved loved ones in times of mourning?
• How does the Bible’s view on death and eternal life shape our approach to grief differently than the world?