Our Comfort in Grief - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - May 4
Our Comfort in Grief
By Meg Bucher
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23
“Jesus loves you,” chimed the sweet voice of the faithful nun who came to pray at my Grandma’s side. “Your sins are forgiven… Jesus loves you.”
My glasses fogged at the sound of our Savior’s name. The Bible tells of the power of his name, and in that moment, I felt the full weight of his compassion for us, as we said goodbye to a family matriarch. God’s sovereignty reigned in the room, and I imagined Jesus’ tears falling alongside mine as his beloved endured the pain of this world. How he must long to take it away, as we struggle to understand his greater purpose and perfect plan.
As the nun sang to my grandmother home to Jesus, the miraculous truth of Romans 6:23 echoed in my mind. We are forgiven. Do we cling enough to this truth? The gift we’ve been given in this life is eternal life in Christ Jesus! Through him, we death and grief for everlasting life.
On this side of heaven, grief aches within each of us. It comes in waves and creeps up on us when we are least prepared for it. And through it we crave His presence. It’s built into the core of who we are.
My grandmother lived a life of service to her community. Her work as a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend and servant of God was never complete. She will be remembered for her smile, full life, love for all of us and faith in Jesus. Romans 6:23 reminds us that this is what matters most. Not the work we do or things we accomplish, but the way we do it. With a smile, a laugh, and a heart seeking to love those around us until the day Jesus takes us home.
Shortcomings and mistakes never trump God’s purpose for any life. Jesus went to the cross knowing we would continue to sin. He laid down his life for us anyway. And God uses every sin, stronghold, and struggle to strengthen us. This is what fuels Christian joy. Not striving for perfection, but taking refuge in his perfect Love.
The permanence of God’s timing resonates with us long after the people he has purposefully placed in our lives have joined him in heaven. He continues to mold us with the legacy of faithful lives, lived in honor of him. Perhaps that is why the memories we hold so dear trigger tearful moments. When they come, we can cling to the joy of experiencing such a grand love for one another this side of heaven, and in hope look forward to the day Jesus wipes away every tear … for good.
Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ. An author, freelance writer and blogger at Sunny&80, she earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University. Her first book, “Friends with Everyone,” is available on amazon.com. Meg leads/teaches Bible Study in Women’s and Youth Ministry. Living in Northern Ohio, she’s been wife to Jim for a decade and counting, is mom to two tween daughters, a distance runner, photographer, and avid Cleveland Browns fan.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
