Finding Hope in Grief: God Works for Our Good in All Things
How can we find hope when tragedy strikes when we’re least expecting it? Life sometimes delivers unexpected blows that leave us questioning everything. This past week was particularly difficult for our family as we gathered to celebrate the life of my husband’s cousin, who passed away suddenly and tragically at just 46 years old. When Tragedy Strikes There’s nothing like death to make you pause and take inventory of your life. In those quiet moments of reflection, the questions naturally arise: How am I spending my time? Who am I spending it with? Am I making the most of my life? As we sat with family and friends, sharing memories and shedding tears, we found ourselves wrestling with the age-old question: Why would something like this happen to a young family? Why does God allow such heartbreak? Finding Comfort in Scripture In these moments of grief, the promise found in Romans 8:28 brought us such comfort: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This verse doesn’t promise that everything that happens is good—clearly, there is immense pain and suffering in our world. Rather, it assures us that God can work through all circumstances, even the most tragic ones, to ultimately bring about good. The Mystery of God’s Purpose While we may not understand the purpose behind death, addiction, job loss, or any of the difficult challenges life throws our way, faith means holding onto the belief that somehow, in ways we might not yet see, God is working in our painful situations toward something that will eventually reveal His greater purpose. This is the core of our Christian hope: He will work FOR our good in all things. The Victory That Sustains Us The foundation of this hope is simple yet profound: Jesus is who He said He was. He defeated death and rose from the grave. If He can conquer death itself, He can certainly take anything terrible in our lives and redeem it for good. An Invitation to the Table If you’re carrying something heavy today—if this week didn’t go as planned or you’re struggling with something that feels insurmountable—know that you are welcome at the table to sit with Jesus and take communion with Him. Whether it’s been years since you’ve stepped into a church or this is your very first time considering faith, remember: we’re one big family at The Village. And yes, family dinners can be messy. But God has taken on all our burdens and continues to invite us to bring them to Him. Let’s gather together—in our grief, our questions, our hopes, and our faith—and be with our family and our Father. See you there Sunday. Find hope today! The Village is dedicated to prayer and lifting our requests up to God, because He hears every one. How can we pray for you?
Why Didn’t God Intervene?
I held her hand as my precious mama and best friend took her last breath. I was on the verge of losing my faith and asking why didn’t God intervene. We all have storms in our lives, difficult circumstances where the diagnosis came or when the casket gets lowered, and you’re standing there, just numb. Maybe the divorce is final and the custody didn’t go your way. You feel like your whole world has fallen apart. Why didn’t God intervene? The Bible is full of real stories where Jesus’s friends were disappointed. This story saved my life and my faith, and I hope that it can do the same thing for you. I want you to pretend you’re standing with Jesus and here comes somebody that’s yelling, “The one you love is sick!” This guy has been running for a day and a half to get to Jesus to tell Him His close friend Lazarus is sick. Jesus eventually arrived and found Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary she stayed home. Mary was mad. Read the story Disease and devastation didn’t even escape Jesus’s close friend. But Jesus’s lack of action isn’t a statement about our faith, and it’s not a statement about His love. You may think, “Maybe I’m not praying the right prayer or not behaving the right way. Maybe God doesn’t love me and that’s why He’s not showing up. Here comes the part to focus on… Jesus wept. John 11:35 Why is He crying? Jesus is crying because our Savior is wholly God and wholly human, and for the first time, I think while walking the planet He felt what we feel when death, disease, and pain destroy a relationship. He felt it, and we have a Savior that when we weep, He weeps and that’s comforting. God loves you. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for you. He weeps with you. Why didn’t God intervene? I don’t know, but what I do know is that your current circumstances are not a reflection of His love. Why didn’t God intervene? I don’t know, but I do know sometimes I have to wait in the pain. How To Restore The Relationship To restore the relationship with God and with other people that pain and death and disease have destroyed: Get vulnerable with the Lord. Tell Him all the things…that you’re angry, disappointed, or whatever you are feeling. Read the book of Psalms. If you open up the Psalms in the middle of the Bible, you will find 1/3 of them are people saying, “I don’t like this God. Will you fix this? God, will you do it now? God, can you help me? These provide an example of how to communicate with God. Be vulnerable with each other. Tell others how you’re really feeling, so they can tell us the truth. When you’re feeling terrible and feeling like God’s against you, it’s easy to spiral into that. When you tell it to others, then they start telling us the truth about God. Rest in the Lord and wait for His glory. He will use your pain to help other people. You have a friend, His name is Jesus. He can handle your emotion and disappointment. Jesus loves you. He died for you and will restore you. Watch a message about grieving and healing…