Hope Beyond Grief

By Danny Saavedra

“This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.” Hebrews 12:27 (NLT)

Though I was just a kid, I vividly remember the night Hurricane Andrew barreled through Miami. I remember losing power. I remember the powerful winds howling and the rains falling hard. And I remember my front door flying open from the force of the wind, and my dad having to push our couch against the door and nailing a bunch of pieces of wood to keep the door shut. It was a terrifying night, but one that I survived. The most terrifying thing, though, was the destruction Andrew left in its wake. The city of Homestead was pretty much left to ruin. Houses were destroyed and structures reduced to nothing. 

That’s the thing about this world; everything in it is temporary. From our most secure towers to our most advanced systems: they will all rust, wither, fail, and fall. They all have a shelf life, an expiration date. And in the end, the writer of Hebrews tells us that “only unshakable things will remain.” 

Right about now, you may be asking yourself, “What are the unshakable things?” Well, the unshakable things are the things “the One who speaks to us from heaven” has declared (Hebrews 12:25 NLT). And the One is referring to Christ Jesus, who came to us from heaven to speak the words of life. The revelation of God’s kingdom came to us through the Son, and if we don’t receive His words and embrace His message, then we, like the material things of this passing world, will be removed (Matthew 3:12). 

But as John 1:12 (NIV) says, “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” We are His sons and daughters, and His heirs, “receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,” a kingdom that is everlasting and glorious. Christ went to prepare a place for us; a place in that unshakable heavenly kingdom, and He tells us in John 16:22 (NIV), “I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” 

You know, sometimes life can feel like a hurricane. Sometimes,  the circumstances we encounter, the losses we suffer, the storms we are faced with level us, leave us in ruins, and reduce us to nothing. And it's in those moments when we feel like we've lost it all that we must cling to the unshakable things, to the hope of an eternity where there “will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4 NIV). When we do that, when we turn to Him in our mourning, when we lay it out before Him; He will give us a peace that goes beyond comprehension, a peace we cannot find anywhere else. And that peace will sweep over us, it will comfort our hearts and give us a supernatural strength to make it through today . . . and then tomorrow . . . and then the next day. 

So, “let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe” (Hebrews 12:28 NLT).