Daily Devotions - Entries tagged "Mourning"

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on several verses from Joshua 1:1-9. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

 ¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . . ⁵ No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

When someone undergoes a great loss, we expect them to grieve. Too often, however, we ignore or underestimate the disequilibrium and pain that come from adapting to the transition and change that follow a major trial.

In his book, Pastor Rob talks about the night in a hospital hotel room when he first realized that Carol’s disease had already robbed them of the many simple, everyday pleasures they had enjoyed during their married life. He was grieved over this realization, but he also realized he was being forced to walk through a painful transition to a life without his best friend—a journey he never wanted to take.

Even good changes can cause anxiety. For instance, Joshua was charged with leading the Israelites through a major transition—entry into the Promised Land—just after Moses’ death. After wandering for forty years in the wilderness, one might expect Joshua to be charged up to lead the Israelites into this land of milk and honey.

Notice, however, the Lord’s command to him: “Be strong and very courageous.” Notice too that he didn’t say this once, but three times. Humanly speaking, the idea of defeating the Canaanites, who outnumbered the Israelites, seemed daunting. In fact, like all change, this major move would be hard. Joshua had to face that reality; yet he could also rest in God’s promise to go with them and give them victory.

Change is difficult; no wonder then that change also requires faith in the God who can do the impossible. Scripture, in fact, is full of God’s promises to be with us, to fight for us, to redeem us. Because God is constantly faithful, we can relax in the knowledge that God never changes and nothing takes Him by surprise. Just consider His promise to Joshua: ^“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. . . .  No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (vv. 3, 5).

A few verses later, God reveals the secret of successful change: “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” Don’t make the mistake of assuming our heavenly Father is asking us simply to memorize a list of dos and don’ts, however. He added, “Do not let this Book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (vv. 7-8).

As Pastor Rob explains, our anchor in change is the Word of God. Yes, we must obey God and trust Him, but that will be possible only as we spend time in God’s Word. Pastor Rob writes, “Over and over I have told our church that it’s not so much what you do in the moment of crisis that determines how you will come out of it, it’s what you do in the months and years leading up to it.”^[1]

You are either in the midst of a major transition now or you will face one at some point. Either way, don’t neglect your time in God’s Word. It will comfort you in trials and build the faith and confidence you need to survive any change that will come. Don’t fear transitions; be strong and courageous, knowing God stands with you!

Heavenly Father,

When change comes, my temptation may be to recklessly charge ahead or cower in fear. Instead, I pray that Your Spirit would remind me to turn to You and Your Word. Each morning, as daily pressures and worries press in on me, draw me to your Word, which offers hope and help, and which is my anchor in times of change.

In Christ’s name,

Amen.

We thank Kim Miller—a senior editor at Tyndale House Publishers who worked with Pastor Rob on the editing of his book—for preparing these devotional thoughts. Kim also attends Wheaton Bible Church, and leads a small group of sixth grade girls in Quest56.

Today we are reading and meditating on Job 2:11-13. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the version of your choice.

¹¹When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. . . . ¹²When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. ¹³Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Most of us long to reach out and comfort grieving friends, coworkers, or family members, but fear often holds us back. What if we do something wrong and make the situation worse? As a result we often stay away or suggest they, “call us if they need anything.”

Job’s friends may have been wrong about a lot of things, but their initial response to his suffering was spot on. As soon as they heard about his misfortune, they visited Job so they could express their sympathy directly. While we wouldn’t wail, tear our clothes, and throw dust in the air as they did, such actions were common expressions of grief in Job’s day.

What did Job’s friends say? Apparently they remained silent for the first seven days, the standard period of mourning following a death or disaster. Instead of talking, they simply sat with Job, offering the comfort of their presence. They didn’t try to lighten things up by telling jokes or try to comfort him by offering platitudes about God’s perfect will. No, they just made sure he wasn’t alone.

Thousands of years later, when urging the Romans to really love one another, the apostle Paul suggested a similar approach: “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. . . . Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:10, 15, NLT). When we want others to know that we hurt for them, the most powerful thing we can do is sit with them, walk with them, or perhaps even hug them.

Several years ago, one man did that in a most remarkable way. After a milk deliveryman opened fire on several young girls in a one-room Amish schoolhouse before killing himself, the Amish community rallied around the gunman’s family. One of the most stirring reports to emerge: that of an Amish neighbor who reportedly held the gunman’s sobbing father in his arms for an hour. There’s no record of words being exchanged; just of a man entering the pain of a father who’d lost his son.

In his book, Pastor Rob calls this “listening with the heart” and the “ministry of presence.” He recalls how comforted he was by friends who came to the hospital in Houston to sit with him. They didn’t say much; they simply let Rob and Carol know they weren’t alone. And when Rob needed to talk, they really listened to what he was saying from his heart.

If you’re grieving today, are you willing to let those who know you best comfort you just by being there? If you push them away, you may miss out on one means God has arranged to bring you a sense of peace. If you know someone in deep pain, have you allowed fear or discomfort to keep you away? If so, ask God to help you discern how best to communicate your care and concern to that person—whether through a visit, a phone call, or even a simple card or e-mail.

Lord Jesus,

The night before Your crucifixion, You asked a few of Your closest friends to sit with You while You prayed. That tells me that You understand how much we need each other when we’re hurting. Please help me to accept the comfort others may extend to me today. And if I’m the one who needs to reach out to a grieving friend or family member, I ask that You help me offer the ministry of my presence in a way that truly comforts him or her. Use my actions to remind them of Your great love and concern for them too.

In Your name,

Amen.