Help for Those Who Grieve

Rely on "the God of all comfort." The Bible says:  "Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you." (Psalm 55:22)  Prayer to God is not some sort of emotional crutch. It is real and vital communication with "the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation." -2 Corinthians 1:3, 4. 

God's Word, the Bible, provides the greatest comfort of all. The Christian apostle Paul stated:  "I have hope toward God . . .that there is going to be a resurrection of  both the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15)   Thinking about the Bible-based hope of a resurrection can be the greatest comfort while grieving the loss of a loved one. That is what Lauren,  a woman whose teenage brother died in an accident, found to be true.  "No matter how bad I felt," she says, "I would pick up the Bible and read, even if it was just one verse. I picked verses that were particularly encouraging, and I read them over and over again. I took comfort, for example, from Jesus' words to Martha after Lazarus' death. He said to her:  'Your brother will rise.' " -John 11:23. 

Next time: Help for Those Who Grieve - "You Don't Have to Let it Dominate  You" 

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2011