How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Training Day: Rest

Devotion: How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

As we look at the theme verse for this week’s devotions, it’s clear that we’re going to wrestle for a few more days . . .

Grief is a wrestling match, as our theme verse suggests. It’s a wrestling match between acknowledging sadness and desiring joy, suppressing negativity and seeking positivity, reflecting as a human and rejoicing in the hope of heaven. Are you worn out from this wrestling match yet? The grieving person often wonders, “How long am I going to feel this way? How many days will go by before I can make it through the day without tears? When will I feel like myself again?”

To be honest, you won’t feel like “yourself” again. But that’s the point. God allows pain, suffering, and trials in order to change us, shape us, and equip us to be instruments of His kingdom. Meditate on the following prayer for a few moments:

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Yes, it stinks to feel sad and fight the tears. But praise the Lord that He loves you so much that He would put His hands right on your heart and mold you to His exact specifications! Check out Zechariah 13:9: “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

Relax yourself into the hands of the Lord. Let Him accomplish His good purpose in your life. It’s OK to wrestle during your time of grief, but let the Lord win!

Prayer
Dear Lord, forgive me for my impatience with the grieving process. Calm my heart and help me to realize that my times are in your hands. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, Amen.