Daily devotional, July 22, 2024
40 days
"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." Lamentations 3:22
In the Philippines, the phrase “40 days” is usually associated with death. On that day, the bereaved family will usually hold a get together of their relatives and the deceased’s closest friends. Elders say, this is the day that the loved one who passed on will ascend to heaven. Basically, it is patterned after Jesus Christ’s ascension following his 40-day stay on earth after He resurrected from death.
So what happens after 40 days? The bereaved would start to at least try to live life anew, this time adjusting to the permanent loss of his loved one. After a year, the family’s state of mourning is lifted and they will hold another get together called “babang luksa,” which literally means laying down one’s grief. But what if the bereaved has yet to move on from grieving and has become beset with depression?
The bible tells us that there is such a thing as excessive grief. When his grown up son Absalom was killed, the mighty King David grieved so much. He no longer saw their war victories,and everyone around him — especially his loyal supporters — felt bad about themselves in spite of their military successes.
"It was told Joab, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.” And the people stole into the city that day as people steal in who are ashamed when they flee in battle."
2 Samuel 19:1-3
He needed to be sternly rebuked by his most loyal military commander to get roused from his excessive grief. He needed to be told that life still goes on, and that he needs to move on.
"Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”
2 Samuel 19:5-7
While the Lord acknowledges our pains and sufferings especially when losing someone or something really important like our career, business, or position we worked so hard for, we are being dissuaded from getting stuck in our emotional black holes.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
Isaiah 43:18-19
Such is being encouraged by God, so that we can continue to enjoy the things He has blessed us with. Also, so that we can continue to grow in terms of character, and choose to depend on Him at all times.
"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up." Psalm 71:20
Usually, when we are too focused on our own pain, we tend to forget the many things that the Lord has given us. These include the blessings that still surround us like our loved ones, and more importantly the Heavenly Father’s grace and mercy that has carried us all through these years.
"For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever."
Psalm 117:2
Moreover, when we are wallowing in grief we tend to forget that God is in control. We tend to forget that He is sovereign, and He has planned out everything that happened and will happen in our lives long before we have been conceived. The Lord does not want us to fully forget about the person we lost, but He does not want us to get stuck in grieving because He has got it all covered.
The Lord has in fact carefully mapped out everything that happens to His children. When we place our full trust in Him, we can move on from our grief, and hold on to His promise that He has great plans for us and He will never abandon us.
"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."
Romans 8:28
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and Psalm 25:16-17 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: How are you dealing with the sad things that happen to in your life?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for being the God of all comfort. Take my hand my Lord, and all the sadness in my heart. Allow me to fully have the confidence to trust the good plans that you have for my life, in spite of the pains and challenges that I am facing. Amen.
