Healing through Suffering \r\nGod has promised suffering – Grieve\r\n\r\n Grieving will come\r\n\r\n‘Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.’ Psalm 90v10\r\n \r\n‘But now, this is what the Lord says - he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel:\r\n“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.\r\nWhen you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,\r\nthey will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;\r\nthe flames will not set you ablaze.’’ Isaiah 43v1-2\r\n\r\n ‘Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…’ James 1v2\r\n\r\n Grieving is painful\r\n\r\nAnger - Psalm 77 & 22\r\nSorrow - Psalm 13 & 6\r\nDespair - Psalm 88\r\n\r\nPermission to grieve\r\nExpression of faith\r\n\r\nAs we grieve: ‘…we strengthen our faith. It enables us to trust more in God and His resources than in ourselves. With every loss, we are reminded of the fact that we are not in control and we are not self-sufficient. Every loss allows us to rest in the grace of God, enabling us to change our perspective and allow our hope and anticipation of the life to come to grow.’\r\n\r\n Grief to joy\r\n\r\n‘…weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.’ Psalm 30v5\r\n\r\n Grieving for us