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(Psalm 34:18) "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
This series is about how GOD is believed to communicate with us all. (9) GOD's Presence in Grief: Defined as the deep emotional pain and sorrow experienced after a significant loss.
Grief, as an emotion, isn't inherently bad for a Christian - it's a natural response to trauma and part of the human experience.
Example - My company was feeling the sting of a recession, leaving me struggling with reduced work and the challenge of paying salaries. It's so easy to listen to temptation, bypass the Holy Spirit and just grab a Scripture and 'name it and claim it' instead of waiting patiently for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Anyway, time dragged by, and my sadness at GOD's lack of intervention began turning into hard-hearted grief.
Then, out of nowhere, a lifeline appeared! "Hey, we’ve been searching for a company with your skills to help us take a leap forward in our market...!" I was all excited until I learned that they wanted us to create a porn site for them. The money was incredibly tempting, but it was still a porn site! I didn’t even consider asking GOD if it was okay. So, I gave a good, strong (reluctant) no!
I was stressed and completely drained. [Faith isn't about believing for what we want, but for what He wants for us. "Seek first the Kingdom of GOD!" (Matthew 6:33)]
I was sulking and didn’t want to pray or even talk to GOD. Nothing was going right, so I decided to escape for a bit and took my dog for a long walk in the forest.
After about an hour of allowing more worry to harden my grief even further, I spotted it. A large dead bird lay flat in the bushes on its back about two metres away. Its head was turned sideways, and it had its wings splayed out in death. Normally, I'd walk right past, but like Moses and the burning bush, I was somehow drawn towards it. It was very dead, and its eyes already had that dull, glazed-over look. As I stared, I suddenly heard GOD's Voice say gently, "Command it to live." I baulked, not because I'd heard His Voice, but because I (stupidly) thought that if I weren't talking to Him, then He wouldn't want to talk to me...! Sheepishly, I knelt beside it, touched its wing gently, and timidly said, "I command you to live in Jesus' Name."
The bird suddenly shot up and flew past my cheek as if it had been fired from a cannon!
The Lord then said, "I am the Lord, and I am not subject to your moods! My Word counts no matter what you're feeling!"
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Let us pray, "Heavenly Father, thank You for being near to us when we're brokenhearted. In moments of pain and sorrow, comfort us with Your Presence. Heal our wounded spirits and remind us that You are always with us, offering Hope and Strength and Guidance." Amen!
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URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS (Please keep checking as more are being added almost daily)