I. Introduction:
a. Grief is never an easy burden to bear – and never more so than when it comes to us in what we can only regard as an untimely fashion. It causes many questions to arise within us – questions about ourselves and what we might or might not have done to make things different – and questions about God and God’s goodness.
b. We come today, in our grief, in our pain, in our anger, in our doubt, in our confusion to examine how we can persevere through these challenges.
c. Many people deal with struggles that cause them to feel alone, to feel stress, and to feel abandoned.
d. However, I want everyone to know that there is hope through the struggles of life.
e. Sadly, <Name>didn’t rely on the hope that could help him overcome his struggles and chose to go his own way. Hope from family, friends, church and God.
f. Illustration: The great poet and hymn writer William Cowper once wrote: God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense but trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face. Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan his word in vain; God is his own interpreter, and He will make it plain.
g. Cowper struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts throughout his life. Even in the midst of his faith in God he struggled to understand the complications in life.
h. The passage we read in Romans 8:38-39 reminds us of God’s love for humanity. He desires greater things and wants us to find joy throughout our lives in our relationship with Him.
i. Isaiah 54:8, 10 says: "'With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,' says the Lord your Redeemer . . . 'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you"
II. The first thing I want to encourage you with is to not be judgmental.
a. It’s easy to judge others without knowing what is causing their pain or suffering.
b. We do not know their burdens, their struggles, nor their thoughts.
c. When you judge someone, especially in a situation like <Name>'s, you presume to know their heart, their feelings, and their emotions. But you cannot know such details about the person. We were not present in his thoughts or struggles.
d. Judgment simply pushes blame onto the one who was suffering.
i. I guarantee you that <Name> did not want to suffer the way he did.
ii. He wanted to fix the problems, but simply saw no other way out.
iii. Judgment will not fix the pain or suffering you now feel.
III. The second thing I want to encourage you with is to be compassionate and understanding.
a. The Isaiah passage reminds us that God says, “With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you.”
b. God is a compassionate God who suffers with those who struggle with misfortunes.
c. Compassion comes in a gentle spirit.
d. One of the greatest stories in the bible about depression and God’s compassion is found in 1 Kings 19. There was a great prophet or servant of God who did mighty things for the Lord. He even called fire down from heaven to help show God’s power. Even after seeing all of God’s glory, Elijah became depressed. He fled his home land and traveled over 200 miles away in search of God. When he found God, he saw a mighty rushing wind, but God was not in it, he saw a mighty earthquake, but God was not in it, he saw fire upon the mountain, but God was not in it. Then he heard a small still voice that asked him, “Why are you here?”. God had compassion on Elijah and showed him a way out.
e. God has compassion on where you are now.
f. I tried to help <Name>. I met with him a few months ago and shared God’s compassion with him at the time. In fact, we spoke about his problems and how God could help him find inner peace. That night he prayed to God asking for forgiveness of his sins. I believed at the time that <Name>would find God’s peace and compassion. Sadly, he did not accept all that God had to offer.
IV. The third thing I want to encourage you with is to discover God’s love.
a. The Romans passage earlier and the Isiah passage both show us God’s love.
b. To experience God’s love you must believe that he cares about you.
c. We have all failed at something in life. According to the bible, everyone has failed to meet God’s expectations.
d. However, Romans 5:8 says that while we were failures, God chose to love us so much that he sent his only son Jesus to die that we might find a path to God, his mercy, and his love.
e. Another passage in Acts 3:19 tells us to repent and turn back, so that our failings may be wiped away and that seasons of refreshment may come from the presence of the lord.
f. How do you receive God’s love?
i. First, admit you need it. Admit you have failed to live up to the standard that God requires. You must admit you need help from God to overcome your past failures.
ii. Second, you must believe that Jesus Christ is God’s son and that he took your place as the peacemaker between you and God.
iii. Third, you must confess in your heart that Jesus provides the means to remove all record of your failings before God.
iv. Then God promises to remove your failures and remember them no more. He also promises to love you and welcome you into his heavenly kingdom when you pass away.
g. <Name> is at peace. However, his peace came at a price. Don’t wait to find peace upon death. Seek God’s love and compassion now to overcome your grief, pain, suffering, guilt, etc.
