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• God’s given us EVERYTHING we need for life &
godliness
• Grief a burden of intense SORROW often associated
with death / loss
• helpful resource: Getting to the Other Side of
Grief: Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse (S.Zonnebelt-Smeenge / R.DeVries)
• grief of being DIVORCED / widowhood (76 or 62/200
married, respectively)
• HALF of those widowed are under the age of 45
• struggles of spouse’s brain tumour: “WHY, God?” /
so down that wanted to kill oneself / huge hole
• through darkest valley: the LIGHTS go out
• SHEPHERD is there to comfort; pummel chest out of
frustration
• Jesus’ experience of SEPARATION at the cross:
forsaken due to our sin
• first funeral ever where he didn’t want it to
STOP
• precious promises that Jesus died for our sins
& was raised, is preparing a place for us (1Cor 15:3f; Jn 14:1ff)
• death guarantees the veracity of the resurrection:
people don’t DIE for what they know to be a LIE
• most to be PITIED if Christ not raised; but He has
been! (1Cor 15:17ff)
• because Jesus LIVES we also live; eternal life
starts now (Jn 14:19; Jn 5:24f)
• believing Jesus died/rose gives ASSURANCE our
Christian loved ones will too (1Thess 4:13f)
• Holy Spirit-inspired euphemisms: ‘fallen ASLEEP’,
‘far BETTER’ to depart & be with Christ
• death is not God’s FAULT (Jn 3:16f; 1Jn 4:14; Jn
1:29; 2Cor 5:19)
• death cannot SEPARATE us from God’s love in Christ
(Rom 8:38f)
• God does understand: Spirit GROANS with us, Jesus
humbled self to death (Rom 8:26; Php 2:8)
• multiple myths: grief orderly phases, keep very
busy, don’t talk about it, will always feel pain, act happy if feeling
awful
• DeVries resolved to make CHANGES: unpack
emotions, eat differently, revisit places, move on
• Heidelberg Catechism: comfort in life/death knowing
we BELONG to our faithful Saviour