Weep For Yourselves

Luke 23:27-31  A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then" 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

I do not like funerals.  I have probably mentioned this before in a devotional.  The problem for me is three-fold in nature.  1) Either the person who passed away was not a believer and thus is not going to heaven as the friends and relatives think and that causes me to be sad. 2) Or the family is suffering the loss of the loved one because there is a huge gaping hole in their lives. 3) And the final reason is I will personally miss the departed in my own life.  Keeping the bigger picture in mind is no easy thing.  Face it, we go to funerals not for the food and fellowship that follows the service.  We go to funerals because there is a connection between ourselves and the departed or the family of the departed.  We have an emotional bond that has been broken.  We have a sense of loss to deal with.  Grieving is part of the process of working through a loss.  It takes time, it takes courage, and it takes prayer.  Going to a funeral for someone who has departed in the faith eases the pain of the loss to a degree. But the hurt of their absence in our lives can remain.  I have experienced loss of friends and family on both sides of the faith aisle. It hurts!  The loss is tempered to a degree.  But the pain is still there.  And prayer is one way of easing the pain.  Reaching out and asking for healing from the Father is vital to processing through the loss of a friend or family member.  The peace of God described in Philippians 4:7 is what we all seek in times of sorrow.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

            The peace of God, a gift of faith from the Father Himself is often an indescribable feeling.  There is a sense of calm, a feeling of warmth, and a state of contentment that comes with that peace.  In our world of budgets difficulties, death, taxes, layoffs and such, this peace is something we should crave with all of our being. For in that peace, which comes from surrendering ourselves to God, comes the understanding that He is our all-in-all. He is our fortress, our strong tower. He is our foundation that no one can undermine.  And when we hold on to those truths in our times of sorrow and loss the big picture becomes clear.  Through God all things are possible, even the emotional healing we need to go through in our times of sorrow. The words of Isaiah 40:31 are words of encouragement to hold close to our hearts.  But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Prayer:  Lord in our times of sorrow we look to You and reach out as a young child reaches for their parent.  We desperately seek an understanding of the why in the cause of our loss. We can lose our focus on You O God.  Help us in our sorrow. Comfort us as only You can Father.  Let Your Holy Spirit rain down on us that the fire of our grief we would be quenched by Your love. Let Your peace fill us dear Lord. We ask this in Your most Holy Name, Amen.