I woke up recently, overwhelmed with grief. My first thoughts were the losses from this past year, the pains experienced, and the prayers still unanswered. I don’t know about you, but 2021 has been one of the hardest years of my life, and the weight of this year pulls heavy on my heart and soul.
I tried to shake myself from the heaviness. A long time ago, a Sunday school teacher had taught me to counter discouragement with practices of gratitude. For every discouraging thought, I was to recall and thank God for something good in my life. So, as I slowly got up, my mind began creating a list of the good things in my life — my family, my friends, my health. But with each good thing I recalled, my next thought turned again to loss and grief. Pain has a way of clouding out the good, doesn’t it?
Within minutes, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. “How long, O God? How long must I bear this grief? When is healing coming?” I whispered.
I even felt angry that I had gone through some of the things I had experienced. I didn’t ask for these struggles. I didn’t want to be living through a pandemic. I didn’t want certain relationships to be severed. None of it felt fair. I didn’t want to have these weights in my life.
Grief is hard to bear.
By God’s grace, I was listening to a song later that morning called, “You Are God and You Are Good.” The words washed over me and were a balm to my soul:
For those who mourn today be the comfort
And who hunger after You be satisfied
For You bless the poor in spirit for Heaven is their Kingdom
We know that You are God, and You are good
Yes we know that You are God, and You are good.
You see, our circumstances may not be good, but God is good in the midst of our circumstances. God knows our pains. He sees us. In our pain, we can feel so alone, unwanted, unworthy, but God promises that nothing can separate us from His love. I love the New Living Translation of Romans 8:38-39:
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These truths from Scripture declare that neither miscarriage nor infertility, neither mental health struggles nor debt, neither estranged relationship nor pains in our family, or abuse of any kind can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. God doesn’t always spare us from pain, but He never abandons us in the midst of our pain.
In his commentary on Psalm 46, Charles Spurgeon wrote that God is good — not because He causes things that seem or feel “good” to happen in our lives, but because in the midst of the storm, God comes closer to us than the storm could ever be. This is why we can say God is good no matter how bad the storm is, no matter how much pain we experience, no matter how different the outcome is from what we’ve prayed for. In the hardest moments of life, God comes close to us. He doesn’t change. He doesn’t falter. He doesn’t quit. He doesn’t leave, and He doesn’t let go.
God is our good Father. He cares about our everyday lives — past, present, and future. He loves us, and He desires to give us good gifts. But He also doesn’t owe us anything. We can trust that because God is good, He knows what is best for our life. In the darkest moments of our lives, we can come to God in prayer, lay our pains before Him and declare, “You are God, and You are good.”
Sister, we’re gonna make it because our God is good.
Leave a Comment
Ruth Mills says
Amen & amen. Bless you for speaking truth to our hearts today, Michelle.
Michelle Reyes says
Thanks, Ruth! Blessings to you as well!
Melissa M Caddell says
Thank you for these words! Desperately needed to know someone has walked in my shoes. Feeling so heartbroken and abandoned by someone walking out in my life. Trying to see God in everyday but it’s hard
Melissa says
I am with you. I too recently had someone walk out on me. I feel abandoned and rejected. I pray we may know Jesus more intimately and see how faithful and true he is. He will never leave or forsake us. And he is so gentle with our broken hearts. Many blessings dear one.
Michelle Reyes says
I’m so sorry, Melissa. God is with you. He will never leave you and he is for you. Blessings to you as well.
Catherine says
Amen Sister. Thanks for the much needed encouragement.
God bless you
Michelle Reyes says
Thank you! Blessings to you as well.
shanice says
I recently became a single mom and the loss of my relationship feels like a death. I never imagined breaking up with the man I’ve been with for the majority of my life. I don’t understand why, but I’m trying to trust God. Thank you for reminding me that God’s love is always there and He will never leave me.
Michelle Reyes says
Thanks for sharing, Shanice. I’m so sorry for what you’re going through right now, and I can’t imagine the grief you are carrying right now. May God bring you comfort and draw you to himself. You are not alone, sister. God loves you.
Kellie Cameron says
Dear Dr. Reyes,
Thank you so much for this devotional today Oct, 14, 2021 in the Daystar (In)couragement. Today is my Niece, Nicole’s birthday. She is grieving heavily last night and today because her mom and my sister died this past year on my birthday Feb. 3, 2021. Nicole is so lost and grieving today on her birthday because she was so close to her mom, Michele. In God’s sovereignty, He chose you whose anme is also Michelle. Please pray for Nicole that God will draw her close to His heart today and always. The loss of my sister, Michele was was also a wife and mother has really impacted our family. Thank you again for this wonderful message you wrote today. Sincerely, Kellie
Michelle Reyes says
Oh, Kellie, I am so so sorry. Grieving with you today. May God draw you to himself and comfort you with his peace, dear sister. You are not alone. God loves you.
Irene says
Thanks for the encouragement, dear one!
Michelle Reyes says
You’re welcome! Thanks for reading.
Tracy Turner says
Amen!! I needed to be reminded of this because of my struggles right now. It is SO TRUE!! Thank you GOD!! Amen!
Thank you for sharing this. ❤
Michelle Reyes says
Praise God! God is with you, Tracy! And we are in this together <3
JJJ says
Thank you for shat your wisdom. We are all grieving in some way and this reminder is so very comforting.
Michelle Reyes says
What a good reminder — we are all grieving in some way right now. That’s all the more reason to cling to God and bear with one another’s burdens. Thanks for sharing!
Tammy says
So encouraging! I cried reading this, perfect timing, as always 🙂
Michelle Reyes says
Thanks, Tammy! Praise God. It’s hard to share our struggles, but I’m glad we can journey together in this!
Emma says
Praying for you, Michelle. Thanks for sharing!
Michelle Reyes says
Thank you, Emma!
Terry Law says
What a balm for my soul! Just what I needed to read today. Thank you so much! Hugs
Beth Williams says
Michelle,
God never promised us a rose garden down here. He said we would have troubles & trials. But take heart for He has overcome this world. He will be with us always.
The years between 2007 & 2017 were hard for me. My aging parents were going through major health issues including dementia & geriatric psych. Always on edge waiting for the phone to ring. Mom laid in bed for 2 years not knowing anyone but dad & I. Our family put them both on hospice. God graciously took mom at home peacefully. Dad had to put in geriatric psych hospital twice. Jesus generously gave dad back to me better than before-only for 1 year. Then I believe he had a stroke. 11 days after I put him in hospital again God took him home. God was with me through those trying times. He had given me a wonderful, understanding husband who let me quit working to care for them.
My in laws also had major health issues. In 2018 we discovered my father in laws cancer had
metastasized to stage 4 bladder cancer. He had most of his bladder taken out-he was 90. A year later still having other health issues he was hospitalized week before Thanksgiving. The Monday before Thanksgiving after coming home from hospital I believe he threw a blood clot to brain & died. I am grateful that he didn’t have to live through a pandemic with his health.
Through all those trials Jesus helped my faith & trust muscles to grow stronger. Now I trust them completely no matter the situations.
Blessings 🙂