DAILY "MANNA" DEVOTION: When Grief Steals the Show!
Reading Time: 4 mins. 54 secs.
Scripture Readings: 2 Kings 2:1-18
Read Last Devotional: Having a Good Focal Point.
Day 18
Every day always seems as the last, for the most part, we wake up, get ready for the new day, tackle the day's ending, and we're off to sleep to invite the next day.
This is our normal cycle. We are so used to it that most of us find ourselves promising others the next days' venture.
"I'll get this to you on tomorrow," one tells their boss.
We make plans for tomorrow and we are ever making them because in our hearts we promise ourselves; tomorrow. I believe this is the norm for most human beings.
Tomorrow seems so promising to us at times that we are able to create plans for years ahead. We prepare for weddings in advance, we take the challenge to go to college, even though we will not be able to get our hands on a degree until years later, but we still make plans because tomorrow is coming, this we have confidence in!
Tomorrow is so alluring that this is what keeps us going; our tomorrow!
Sometimes, tomorrows never come for some people. Even with all the plans made, no matter how many days, weeks, months, or years in advance plans were made, their yesterday ended and that was all they got. There was no chance at a tomorrow.
When grief strikes, it is famously known to get people to stop. Stop praying, stop understanding life, and to stop living.
It's hard trying to maneuver the confusion, sorrow, and pain of dealing with a lost. You can't even see clearly.
A part of you wants to understand that your loved one is gone and they are not coming back, but then another side of you feels that they are still with you. This is part of the confusion side effect from grief as it has one in a temporary state of insanity, as displays of mild to severe forms of schizophrenia begins to become apparent.
It doesn't matter that we may have tried to prepare for this. You can never prepare enough!
It hurts and it saddens us and even makes us angry at times, but grief steals the show at some time or another in a person's life, unless they were never blessed to see the day of it.
We can fight with grief and insanity and wrestle with our stance of it, but grief will still attempt to steal the show!
Let me bring your attention to an example of grief through scripture.
Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, who was used mightily by the anointing of God, felt the calling to train up another prophet by the name of Elisha.
Elisha saw many signs and wonders being done by the very hands of Elijah so he understood the Lord was with him. I believe every day Elisha was with him it was an adventure as he would see God work through Elijah almost endlessly: he defeated the prophets of baal, saw God answer Elijah through fire, and watched him as he caused rain to cease and drought to begin, Elisha saw a lot!
But nothing could ever prepare him enough for the leaving of his trainer, Elijah. And Elisha was warned many times of his friend's departure up until the day it happened (2 Kings 2:3, 5)!
Grief still had him feeling some kind of way once he experienced the actual lost of his loved one. The Bible even mentions Elisha questioning God with where was He in midst of his crisis (2 Kings 2:14)!
Elisha knew deep down inside that the Lord had taken Elijah but he didn't want to believe this. What he wanted was for Elijah to still be there for him and spend time with him. He didn't want to move on without him.
But on the other side of grief, we will begin to face a "now moment" to move on. This is something telling you deep in your gut, "you got to pull it together, now."
This is a moment where we face the decision to move forward or to stay in a rut. The other side tells you not to move on. Just soak it in for one last time. Rehearse what's happened and cry out the confusion and anger. Just one more day and it will be over with.
Until that one day turns into weeks and months and sometimes years and decades!
Our better judgement should always be ready to take that "now moment", that moment that becomes life changing and a new you is birthed. This is what Elisha did as he was used also to do mighty things for God.
That now moment is the time to do something new, look for new ventures and peel off the scales of who you really are!
In the book of 2 Kings, Elisha hadn't even realized what he had become from seeping in his grief. The other prophets already began to see the change in him as he began to operate in the same anointing as Elijah, his master, once did.
But guess what? Elisha's grief and pain caused him double the anointing! Just what he asked for (2 Kings 2:9)! Instead of grief taking hold of him causing him to stop, he moved forward even in midst of the hurt, pain, and agony.
So, I don't know about you, but if you are dealing with grief on today in some form: the loss of a job, child, parent, home, relationship, or whatever it may be, you can come out on top of that loss!
Don't let grief continue to steal the show of your life. This is your time to live, after all we're only given one! Live life to the fullest on today!
Prayer: Lord, I thank you even in my times of grief and sadness. I thank you for showing your love through the small things I have missed time and time again! Thank you for all of the tomorrows you have given and for giving me another chance to do what others may not have been able to accomplish. Use me, Lord, to accomplish everything you have put me here on earth to do in Jesus' name. Amen!
Quiet time meditation: Wait for the Lord to minister to you personally on what He may want to say to you. Be sure to pay attention to any areas that may pop up in your spirit (even silly things such as: how quick you may be to get angry with things or a friend or family member who has been bugging you with their problems.) This process could take anywhere from 10-30 minutes or longer. But, try not to rush this because you could be missing out on a great breakthrough. Within this quiet time, the Lord wants to restore you in any broken areas and he wants to replenish your spirit for what has been used up.
Understanding what He means: This is a time to jot down some of those things the Lord has ministered to you while in meditation. Sometimes, the Lord will wait to speak to you throughout your day. Pay attention and jot these things down so that you won’t forget. You may even come up with more scriptures that may come to mind.
Read Next Devotional: A War of Triumph!
May the Lord bless your day abundantly!