The Lord burdens my heart each year for the many friends and loved ones that struggle through the holiday season. This year I have been especially burdened as several families in our church have been grieving. I know it is so, so hard. For some of you, a sick loved one means a less joyous Christmas. For others, you have dreamed of sharing Christmas with a new baby or a new marriage or a new home…and the Lord has not seen fit to bless you with those dreams, at least for this year. Some of you are lonely. Some of you feel forgotten.
The waiting is hard. The dreaming can feel hopeless. The loss threatens to suffocate you.
I just wanted you to know, you are thought of and you are loved.
You are loved, dear one. The God of the universe knows your heart, He feels your pain, He wants you to find your hope in Him. More than any sympathy I can give, the Lord experienced pain and loss Himself in ways we will never understand…He truly shares in Your suffering. And when we suffer hardship, we are sharing in His.
Praying these Scriptures will help you to re-focus that hope! Praying the Scriptures doesn’t have to be hard. Read the verse, speak the verse to God, make it your prayer, write it on a card and carry it with you through your day, tape it by the kitchen sink, take one phrase from it and repeat. Repeat again.
We are human and we need reminders. I need reminders daily.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus Name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
That’s the thing, sweet friends…when our hope is placed in something else, we are going to struggle. Big time. We must continually preach the gospel to ourselves so that we don’t keep sinking. We must remind ourselves that God alone is our hope and not the doctor’s report, not the response from a husband, not the rejection of the adoption agency.
Christ alone.
One more note: Friends, it is not wrong to grieve. If you have lost a loved one, give yourself grace. If you are grieving what you hoped life would look like, give yourself grace. Don’t let anyone tell you that Christians can’t grieve. We grieve with hope, because we know that one day every tear will be wiped from our eyes and we will spend eternity with Jesus. But, that doesn’t mean that we won’t have pain while still here on earth.
10 Psalms to Pray When Christmas is Hard
- Psalm 3 ~ You, Lord, are a shield around me. You bestow glory and you lift my head. To You I cry aloud, and You answer me from Your holy hill. I lie down and sleep, I wake again because You sustain me. I will not fear. From You comes deliverance.
- Psalm 4:6-7 ~ Let the light of Your face shine on me, Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy.
- Psalm 5:11 ~ Oh Lord, let all of us who take refuge in you be glad, let us sing for joy, protect us that we may rejoice in You.
- Psalm 9:9-10 ~ Lord, You are a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. We who know You trust You, for You, Lord have never forsaken us.
- Psalm 16:5-6 ~ Lord, You have assigned my portion and my cup, You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance. {Sweet friends, count your blessings today, while you wait on the Lord, name the gifts He has already given. Knowing we have an eternity with Jesus is our inheritance! We are already blessed!}
- Psalm 18:28 ~ Lord, You turn my darkness into light. You are the light of the world!
- Psalm 27:4 ~ One thing I ask for, Lord, this is what I seek — that I may dwell in Your house forever, all the days of my life, to gaze upon Your beauty. {What a verse to help us re-focus! ALL I ASK FOR IS YOU, Lord.}
- Psalm 46:1-2 ~ You are my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. Therefore, I will not fear!
- Psalm 61:2 ~ From the ends of the earth, I cry to You, Lord. I call as my heart grows faint, I feel overwhelmed, lead me, oh Lord, to the rock that is higher than I.
- Psalm 91 ~ Lord, You tell me that when I dwell in You, You allow me to rest in Your shadow. I will say of You, You are my refuge and my fortress, You are my God in whom I trust. You cover me with Your feathers and under Your wings I find refuge, Your faithfulness is my shield and rampart. I will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day…no harm will befall me because You have commanded Your angels concerning me. Because You love me You will rescue me. You are with me in trouble. You will deliver me. Praise You, Father.
My Prayer for You
Precious Savior and Lord, I bring before You all of my friends that are hurting this year. This is such a joyous time of year as we celebrate Your birth and the reason You sent Your son. But, it’s hard to be joyous with so much pain. I lift up these dear ones to You and ask You to give them a tangible sense of Your presence this year. Wrap Your arms around them in such a way that they truly feel Your love. Your mercies are new each morning, Lord, may they know that in the depths of their souls. May each of them place their hope in You alone, and if their hope is in the wrong thing, gently guide them back to You, Father. By your grace and for Your glory, Lord Jesus. We praise You and we thank You!
Songs to Minister to Your Heart
You are not alone, beloved. May this song minister to your heart this year.
Thank you, Candace . . . I needed these words today. The past few months have been some of the hardest that I have had to walk through. I often find myself without words before God because I feel like I have prayed everything I know to pray regarding this situation. Thanks for giving me words again . . . for reminding me of the power of His Word. Blessings to you, my friend!
We’re on the same page as usual. xo
I just wrote this: http://www.hiphomeschoolmoms.com/2014/12/holiday-heartache-2/
Love your post, people need to know and be sensitive…and I hope you find some joy and peace this christmas, my friend!! ((((hugs)))) Praying for you today!
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I like this blog so much, saved to fav. “Respect for the fragility and importance of an individual life is still the mark of an educated man.” by Norman Cousins.