God grieves with us

I turned on my  television this morning and Joyce Meyer was on...I love her...she is so blunt and down to earth...and you can understand and relate to her message.

This morning it was forgiveness.  How appropriate after yesterday's tirade..She talked about Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers who eventually came to him for their survival.  After this he lived for 110 years...After tragedy he had a long and prosperous life.  This story proves there is life after tragedy...there are many stories in the bible, Job, Jacob where tragedy leads to a long and prosperous life.  She said this morning God will use the evil that happens to us to help us grow and develop in him.  Wow... I know in my heart I have grown...I know I've grown closer to God. Something else I read this week confirms this by saying, We lose closeness to God when there is no sorrow in our life.  I do know  during this tragedy I feel like I know God inside and out and he knows me the same way.  When the suffering ends will we still be this close?

Every day I have Mark and Kathy and their families on my prayer list and I grudgingly pray for them to find peace.  I think grudgingly is the key word here.  Joyce this morning says pray about the stuff you don't want to pray about.  If you don't want to pray about it...you need to...Maybe I better take those grudge prayers and make them true prayers.

Hating is hard work.  It takes a lot of our energy.  I know that and most days are good, most days I am happy and realize this is a good thing and I look forward to my future and all it will bring...but sometimes the hatred just comes...out of the blue and for no reason....and I am drained following...when you give the devil a foothold he grabs on, doesn't he.

I think about God grieving with me...he doesn't want bad things to happen to us but when they do he is with us and he grieves, too.  He grieved for the lose of those two marriages and the covenant of both said in his presence.  He grieves for the four grown children that were affected and their families...he grieves for the three small grandchildren that know something is wrong and their security and life has changed.  God accepts the grief and joins us in it.  But this is the good thing...he also transforms that grief and from it comes peace, kindness and something beautiful...I am looking forward to that time but for now I will find peace in knowing God is grieving with me.