Loss & Grief - SE StudentsSample

Psalm 42 begins with a comparison between a yearning for God and the thirst of a deer that is panting for water. You might not be able to imagine how a deer feels, but if you have ever done some physical activity on a Summer day in 100-degree heat without a bottle of water nearby, you understand that kind of physical thirst. You’d do almost anything for a drink of water. Just a little bit of relief. 

Grief can feel like you’re wandering in the desert, sun-scorched, desperate for a drink of water, for days or weeks, or months. It can last for a long time. The psalmist compares his feelings of grief with this kind of thirst, but he is thirsty for God’s presence rather than water. In your grief, you might push God away while you search for your thirst to be quenched some other way. You want your grief to end, but you find it hard to seek God because it might seem as though He is at fault for your pain. In reality, He is the only relief you will find. God is not the one at fault for our pain, and His presence is the place you will find the hope you are searching for. He is the only one who understands you and can meet you where you are. 

Spend some time today sitting in God’s presence, even if it means you pour out your anger or frustration with Him. Thank Him for who He is.