Peace and Comfort Through Our Lord, Our Good Shepherd

Comforting Words In Grief

In these past few days, and in the days ahead, you may have or you may feel yourself saying something like this, “I wake up. I push myself up on the side of the bed. Then it hits me. They’re gone. I hang my head. Here come the tears again. It feels so heavy. I feel heavy. Like my body weighs a ton. Like I’m pushing my way through knee-deep mud, every step. I’m exhausted. My heart feels so tired, so forlorn. Sad. That’s the word. I’m just so, so sad.

Yes, this is sad. Missing someone you love is hard enough. Knowing that they’re not coming back is gut-wrenching. The weight on your heart is immense. Sadness is a natural result. This sadness is healthy. Your heart is honoring your loved one. You are expressing your love. You miss them. Deeply. Badly.

You see, grief is a moving target. It never stays still. It’s always changing. Your heart has been hit, perhaps even crushed. The grief is intense. It runs deep—deeper than even you know. This is an emotional roller-coaster. There will be ups, downs, and sudden drops. You’ll get jostled around quite a bit. It can be frustrating, confusing, and even terrifying. But know that your grief honors your loved one. Your heart is expressing your love. God created you to love. You’re expressing the heart He gave you. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31: 24. Know that the Lord feels your sadness with you. He is closer than you know.

In the Bible, we see that the prophet Jeremiah knew all too well what grief was. He wrote a book called Lamentations. He was lamenting many griefs. But, even in his grief and lamenting, he knew that God was faithful. This also, is what I want you to know today.

There is a hope to cling to in these trying times. God is still on the throne. God is here today offering comfort to all who are grieving. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 3:22-24; “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.”

Hope in the Lord and ask Him, "Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” as the psalmist did in Psalm 31: 9. Tell our Father, that, sorrow grips your heart. Ask him to Be your comfort to be your strength.

A time of Remembrance

We are here to reflect on and honor the Life of Kenzie Weir. Even though we are honoring Kenzie’s life, it is a time of grief and heartache. But It is a time of remembrance. A time of joyous thoughts and times gone by. During this time memories will flood in of the good times. Of the times of joy and all the love.

Any bad memories will be gone and only good one’s will be around. Yet, even these will bring tears and grief. This is not bad. Allow yourself to grieve. It is natural and it is what we need to do.

We grieve because we love the one we have lost. We grieve because this is not the way it is supposed to be. Your grief is your persevering love for your loved one who has passed on. So it is okay to cry and be upset. Grief is good for you in this time. God does not want you to not grieve. He wants you to. He is fine with you crying out to Him. Psalm 6:9 says, “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.” In Ps. 116:1 we also see the Psalmist saying, “I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.”

God is listening and He will hear you and help you. I know this because, Death is not what God wanted for us. He wanted us to live with Him and enjoy Him forever. But things were corrupted and now we face this grief.

Even though we face this grief, we have comfort through it. We have a God who loves us and does not desire that any should die. He says as much in several places in Scripture.

We see this in Ezekiel 18:32, the Lord says He has no pleasure in the death of anyone. When one dies their death is, “Precious in the sight of the Lord” (Psalm 116:15). It is because of this fact that I think that Psalm 23 is so pertinent to this time now.

This Psalm is, because it is for comfort for those who are going through a difficult time. And it is hard to imagine a more difficult time than now for you who loved Kenzie. Let me read the Psalm and then we will look at what it says and how it can give you comfort from this day on.

Psalm 23:1–6 (NKJV): The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

A. Personal provision—v. 1.

My Shepherd. Shall not want; shall be in need of nothing—Phil. 4:19.

Shepherd is a very intimate word. It speaks of the one who will deliver and provide for you. A shepherd lives with his flock. He is there to protect and render aid all the time. God is near you now. Trust Him and rest in His provision.

Our God will give what you need when you need it. He has His hand extended to all who will grab it. He loves you just as He loved and loves Kenzie. He wants you to have no need or want. He wants you to know He will provide for you in every aspect of your grief.

He supplies us with the fortitude and strength to move forward during all difficulties. So, today if you are in need of provision and strength, seek the Lord He will provide all you need and more.

He will “supply every need of yours according to the riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

B. Peace—v. 2.

Not only will he provide, but He will give you, Rest and refreshment. Compare Isa. 26:3; John 14:27; Phil. 4:7.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. This is rest in a place of abundance. God desires you to have comfort and peace.

Kenzie is at her eternal home now. Her struggles here are over. You though are left to continue on. This may seem to be difficult and hard, but through the peace of God and the refreshment He will give, you can continue on every day.

He is the good shepherd who will leave the ninety-nine for the one who has strayed. He loves us that much that He will go through whatever for the one. So, today rest in the peace and refreshment He offers you.

Isaiah 26:3 tells us that the Lord will, “keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Christ tells us in John 14:27 that “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” He gives us peace and comfort during the most difficult times. Trust Him to guide and keep you during this difficult time. His peace is a peace that surpasses all understanding and it will guard you in this time of loss of your dearly loved Kenzie.

C. Pleasure—v. 3.

Pleasure may seem as far away from you now as possible, but know that the Lord will give you pleasure even during this difficult time. He refreshes, restores, recreates, makes alive, and revives In you memories and yourself too. He will bring to mind things long since forgotten.

This will give pleasure and joy. It will make you only to see the joyous times and the precious memories of your time with Kenzie.

We have this pleasure because it is from the Lord who leads and guides us. It is He who restores our souls and our hearts after a time of loss. He will strengthen you and He will help you He , “will uphold you with His righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10).

So even in your grief make room in your heart for the Lord to restore joy and pleasure. He will do this for you and make you able to stand in joy again.

D. Protection—v. 4.

God gives us protection in these times. Our hearts are burdened with the valley of the shadow of death. You have passed through this valley in these last days. You have seen this terrible reality. Yet, you shouldn’t fear it because Christ is with us.

The rod was used to beat off attacks from dangerous animals. The staff was used to draw the sheep away from danger. This speaks of extreme care and loyalty of the shepherd to the sheep.

Our shepherd is Christ. He will beat away the despairing thoughts with the rod, and He will pull you back into joy and peace with His staff. His love is for you and He does desire you to have comfort and safety during this difficult time.

E. Preparation—v. 5.

Even during this time, just as this verse says that the table was prepared before His enemies, the Lord has prepared for you in this time of tragedy.

Preparing a table means satisfying fully. Cup runneth over means full of joy and satisfaction. Anointing head with oil means accepting and approving. God has all this for you in this time. He is here and has His hand extended to you. He wants to ease your hearts and your pain. He has prepared a place for you and it is fully satisfying.

F. Promise—v. 6.

God has a promise of Goodness and mercy for all who will allow Him to provide it. He will provide all of this to each one who wants it. Just lean into Him during this time. Know that He is able and willing to give aid.

Do not allow the thoughts and wondering of why this happened to stop you from resting in the Lord. This is a difficult time and is a heart shattering loss of your dearly loved Kenzie. Just know that Jesus is here for you and is offering this amazing comfort and restoration through Him if you will allow Him to do so.

There are many things out there today that offer Hope but that is not real hope. Real hope and comfort is found in the Lord. He is the one who can provide all we need and will do so if we allow Him. He has this great promise of goodness and mercy to follow us all our days, but we must allow Him to give us that.

But none of this takes away the fact that you have lost the one you dearly love. Kenzie is not here with you anymore. You ache and hurt for her. That is okay. God understands this and He knows the ache you are feeling. Jesus suffered right here in this world. He is able to sympathize with our griefs and struggles because He experienced them.

So in your grief just know that you have one who is able to strengthen you and carry you through. He wants to and will certainly do so. He loves you just as you love Kenzie. Let your persevering love for her continue. But allow God to help you and strengthen you. He will do it and He will make you able to continue on every day from this day forward.

I want to close with this poem that I think is fitting:

I am home in heaven, dear ones,

Oh, so happy and so bright!

There is perfect joy and beauty

in this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,

every restless tossing passed.

I am now at peace forever,

safely home in heaven at last.

There is still work waiting for you,

so you must not idly stand by.

Do it now, while life remaineth,

you shall rest in God’s own land.

When that work is all completed,

He will gently call you home.

Ah, the rapture of that meeting,

Oh, the joy to see you come!