Great News

You will be comforted

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
– Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:4

Jesus weeps with those who weep

“Jesus wept [as he went towards his friends Lazarus’ grave although he knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead]. The people who were standing nearby said, ‘See how much he loved him!’” – John 11:35

Death is but a doorway

“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” – Jesus Christ, John 11:25

Grieve. But Don’t Lose Hope

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.” – 1 Thess 4:13-14

Don’t Despair. God is your Refuge

“Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Lift up a song for Him
who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is Yahweh,
and exult before Him.
A father of the fatherless and
a judge for the widows,
is God in His holy habitation.”
– Psalm 68:4-5

King David’s Prayer

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon,
the source of the Jordan,
from the land of Mount Mizar.

I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.

“O God my rock,” I cry,
“why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief,
oppressed by my enemies?”

Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
– Psalm 42:5-11

Godly sorrow versus worldly sorrow

“Now I am glad … because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” – 2 Cor 7:9-10

Jeremiah’s Lamentation and Hope

“I am the one who has seen the afflictions
that come from the rod of  Yahweh’s anger.
He has led me into darkness,
shutting out all light.
He has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long. …

“The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

“The faithful love of Yahweh never ends!b
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “Yahweh is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”

Yahweh is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from Yahweh.
And it is good for people to submit at an early age
to the yoke of his discipline:

“Let them sit alone in silence
beneath the Yahweh’s demands.
Let them lie face down in the dust,
for there may be hope at last.

“Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them
and accept the insults of their enemies.
For no one is abandoned
by the Lord forever.

“Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
For he does not enjoy hurting people
or causing them sorrow.”
– Lamentations 3:1-3; 19-33

A Prayer For Protection

“Be merciful to me, O God,
for men are hounding me;
all day they press their attack.
My enemies pursue me all day long,
for many proudly assail me.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust.
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”
– Psalm 56:1-4

A Prayer Seeking Refuge in God

“Hear my cry, O God;
Give heed to my prayer.
“From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
“For You have been a refuge for me,
A tower of strength against the enemy.
“Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.”
– Psalm 61:1-4

God’s Promise of Protection

If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me;
whoever assails you will fall before you.
Behold, I have created the craftsman
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its task;
and I have created the destroyer
to wreak havoc.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and their vindication is from Me”
– Isaiah 54:15-17

Jesus’ Command: Be Fearless

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. – Matthew 10:26-31

God’s Promises To His People

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
– Isaiah 41:10

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6

Jesus’ Promise To His Apostles

And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20

Deal With Your Sin

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” – Proverbs 28:13

Warnings Against Denial of Sin

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:8-10

A Prayer for Forgiveness

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loving kindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
“For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me. …”
– Psalm 51:1-3

How fortunate are the forgiven!

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
“How blessed is the man to whom Yahweh does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
“For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh’;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
– Psalm 32:1-4