August 7, 2025 Devo

I was talking with someone recently who lost their spouse after 60 years of marriage. Their pain was beyond my comprehension. Tears filled their eyes as they tried to talk. Each sentence was punctuated with a gasp of breath as if the reality of it all was beyond their comprehension. I had no words that could ease their pain. I felt horribly inadequate to help them. I simply hugged them and let them know I was there for them.
We all grieve, but sometimes the grief we’re dealing with is not just a wave of sorrow. It’s a tsunami. It doesn’t just hit us, it swallows us. Our world goes dark, and we find ourselves drowning in an ocean of emotions. Sadness. Fear. Loneliness. Helplessness. Hopelessness. We don’t just cry. We sob. The words of the psalmist become real to us. “You have fed us with sorrow and made us drink tears by the bucketful.” In times like these, you don’t need a tissue. You need a towel.
Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve had your own times of being “fed with sorrow.” Some of you may be there right now, drinking your own “bucket of tears.” But thankfully, the psalmist doesn’t leave us drowning in our sorrow without throwing us a lifeline. He reminds us that God is still there for us, even when we can’t see Him or feel Him. No matter how thick our darkness might be, the Face of God will shine upon us once more.
Hold onto that truth. Though God may feel a long way off, He is not. He is NEAR. Though it may feel like you’re all alone, He is WITH YOU. He promises that He will never leave you or forsake you. Though your pain is overwhelming, the Lord will be your Healer, and He will mend your broken heart. As you walk through the shadows of this Valley of Death, you do not have to be afraid. He is right beside you.
So cry out to the Lord today. In all your sadness, all your fear, and in all your anger. It’s okay. He’s big enough to handle all your emotions. The One who made you understands you. And He will help you through this most difficult time. Take heart, the Lord will not let you drown in your tsunami of grief. He will be there for you. He will turn His Face towards you. He will shine upon you. And He will save you. That’s God’s Word for you today.