TAKE YOUR GRIEF TO GOD

An orca (a killer whale) named Talequah gave birth. Talequah’s pod of killer whales was endangered, and her newborn was their hope for the future. But the calf lived for less than an hour. In her grief, Talequah pushed her dead calf through the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean for seventeen days before letting her go.

Sometimes Christians have a hard time knowing what to do with grief. Perhaps we worry that our sadness might look like a lack of hope or like we don’t trust God. But the Bible gives us many examples of humans crying out to God in grief. Loss and hope can actually work together during any times of grief we go through.

Lamentations is a book of five poems about the sadness of people who have lost their home. They’ve been hunted by enemies and were near death (LAMENTATIONS 3:52-54), and they weep and call to God to bring justice (V.64). They cry out to God not because they have lost hope, but because they believe God is listening. And when they call, God does come near (V.57).
It’s not wrong to feel the weight of grief when people die or we lose things or important relationships in our lives. God is always listening, and you can be sure that He will help comfort you in your loss and give you reason to hope.

To pray about . . .

Loving God, help us to remember that it’s right to cry over loss, just as it is right to look to You for hope.