1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.… - Hebrews 12:1-3, Berean Standard Bible

Grief and sorrow can be subtle or strong. While even Jesus felt grief and totally understands every emotion we will ever experience, His Spirit will help us to recognize and resist the sorrow of the world, which the enemy sends to try to destroy us. 

People who don't know what I'm about to tell you can be defenseless against the onslaught of grief and sorrow the enemy bombards them with, and can even be convinced by lying spirits to destroy themselves, to escape the pain. 

Jesus Christ is the only true Hope and Salve for our souls! He is the only true Healer in the universe.

He is the only One Who truly understands everything we will ever feel and experience, for He vicariously experienced everything we ever have or will, in His suffering for us on the cross. 

What a truly awesome God we serve! 

He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to choose to greatly humble Himself, come to earth to be born as a human child of a virgin, grow up just like us, and experience every temptation, but without sin, then overcome and choose to again greatly humble Himself to die on the cross for us--where He experienced every form of the curse; every sin, sickness, sorrow, grief, frustration, fear, depravity, negative emotion, and death--so we wouldn't have to! 

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4 Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted.... - Isaiah 53:3-4, Berean Standard Bible

Jesus, the lover of our souls, broke the power of grief and sorrow and sickness and all suffering at the cross, over 2,000 years ago--because His pure blood paid for our wrongs, and defeated all these things. But we have to believe it. We have to speak out of our mouths--even when we don't feel it, because (as the LORD told me once, emphatically in my heart, "You don't have to feel it. Jesus felt it!") there is power in our words. 

After all, the LORD (Elohim, the Creator) spoke the worlds into existence! He created Adam and Eve with His hands, from the dust of the ground, but everything else was created by words. Hallelujah!

We are His representatives in the earth, when we are truly born again by repenting of our sins and receiving the cleansing, restoring Blood of Jesus to cover us; receiving Christ Jesus as our Savior and LORD. Hallelujah! 

So we can use our words to affect our world! 

We can literally use our words to resist and reject grief and sorrow that is not of God.

I've had to do this often in my life, once I learned to! The enemy has tried to destroy me with grief and sorrow many times in my life, and I was suicidal about 30 years ago. But praise the LORD, God used His Word (Jeremiah 29:11!) to start lifting me up out of that pit, and help me hope in Him again! Hallelujah!

There is a natural grief and sorrow, of course. God feels it, and may the LORD forgive us all where we've grieved Him, just like a child can grieve a parent by rebellion or an unthankful attitude, or worse, when all the parent wants to do is love and help and cover the child, even though that child may not understand.

When Lazarus, one of Jesus's best friends, died, Jesus felt grief and sorrow. The Bible records it: 34...“Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”… - John 11:35, Berean Standard Bible

We can grieve the LORD with our rebellion and other wrong "fleshy" tendencies: …29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.… - Ephesians 4:29-31, Berean Standard Bible

Our dear Father is Love (I John 4:8), and I've had to repent many times of grieving Him! Ugh! I did again just now, when I reread these Scriptures in Ephesians.  Truly, our LORD, our dear Father is so loving and gentle and merciful and kind, and I've been the opposite, too much of my life!

But I am learning, and so can you. True peace comes when we know that, no matter how much we've sinned against God--grieved Him, for sin of any kind is the opposite of our dear God--He loves us anyway. That's true love (Agape; love without strings, without conditions!), hallelujah! 

We repent to Him, and He forgives us, and then we must learn to truly forgive others (It's usually a process. Ask me how I know!), and then, forgive ourselves! 

…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,  He is faithful to forgive us our sins and all unrighteousness. – I John 1:8-9, Berean Standard Bible

When we believe in the blood of Jesus Christ to truly forgive, cleanse, and save us, we become the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

That does NOT mean that we become righteous in our acts and thoughts and feelings!

That means that the real us, the eternal part, our spirits, become one with God, and it is our spirit that is righteous, and one with Christ, and our spirit that will live forever in Heaven with God (True, our bodies will be regenerated and resurrected and reunited with our spirits in Heaven, but the body is a vessel to hold the treasure of our spirit; kind of like a house is just a building, unless someone lives there, and it is the people that are alive, not the house!). 

We must continuously learn and live the Word of God, and recognize more and more what is of God, and what is not; put our "flesh" (souls; mind/will/emotions) down, and yield to the Holy Spirit, Who is Love and Truth and gentleness and kindness and everything good.

6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.…James 4:6-8, Berean Standard Bible 

We can't do this ourselves, but the LORD will help us. Hallelujah! 

We can tell grief and sorrow, and any other emotion not of God, to leave us in the name of Jesus Christ. We can call forth the Peace of God to help us to forgive and release and rest in Him. 

Yes, while we're on the earth, until King Jesus returns to get us, His kids (which will be very soon, in human time!), there will be a struggle to reject the grief and sorrow (not just from death of a loved one, which I've experienced the past few days, but from wrong situations, uncertainty, betrayal, etc. etc.) and choose to live in the peace of God.

…7 My salvation and my honor rest on God, my strong rock; my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah  - Psalm 62:7-8, Berean Standard Bible

The main way to have peace in God is to first know Him as Savior and LORD; pray to Him, releasing all your worries, fears, and cares to Him Who loves you so much He died for you!; worship Him; read His matchless, living Word, the Bible; attend a Bible-believing church and fellowship with other true Believers; ask Him to help you replace wrong activities with those that honor Him; ask Him to help you be sensitive to His Spirit, and follow Him with all your heart, and just trust that He loves and is and will help you. 

27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.… - John 10:27-28, Berean Standard Bible

He will! 

So you can tell grief and sorrow to leave you now, in the Name of Jesus, and call forth peace for your soul. 

Jesus Christ your Savior and LORD is faithful. He will help you!

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. - I Thessalonians 5:23-24, Berean Standard Bible

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.