Grief: Finding Comfort

Merriam Webster defines grief in one way as deep sadness caused especially by someone’s death. Grief may be the loss of a loved one, or it could be the loss of a pet, job, or friendship. Grief does not have to be exclusive to the death of a loved one. Jesus understood grief. He expressed his grief as he wept when Lazarus died. Therefore, in times of overwhelming sadness, know that you can turn to someone who understands for comfort.

Grief Resources

I’ve compiled a list of comforting scriptures for grief and loss to soothe your soul when you need it most. I hope these serve as a gentle reminder God is always there for you! Also, pray it encourages you to find and read the passages these verses came from for the full context as comfort can be found within God’s word. If you want more information on the stages of grief, this post will be helpful. If you are searching for tools to help you through your grief, or tips for those grieving through the Holidays, this post can serve as guidance.

Scriptures for Comfort

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Revelation 21:4

“Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

“For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.”
John 16:22

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”
Romans 8:18

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

“Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.”
2 Corinthians 1:6-7

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”
2 Corinthians 1:9-10

“For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Romans 8:28

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying”
John 11:25

“The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.”
Psalms 6:9

“I weep with sorrow; encourage me with your word.”
Psalms 119:28

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 1:7

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again — my Savior and my God!”
Psalms 42:11

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease!”
Lamentations 3:22

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance therefore, I will hope in him!”
Lamentations 3:23-24

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.”
1 Peter 1:6

“The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”
Psalms 34:17

“The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:25-26

“For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.”
Lamentations 3:31-33

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
Psalms 56:8

 

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”
Psalms 30:11-12

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Psalms 30:5

“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.”
Romans 12:15

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.”
Psalms 126:5

“For the more, we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 1:5

 

“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance results in spiritual death.”
2 Corinthians 7:10

“Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.”
Proverbs 14:13

“O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.”
Psalms 62:8

“Then Jesus wept.”
John 11:35

“I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to my enemies, but you have set me in a safe place. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within.”
Psalms 31:7-10

“Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”
Ecclesiastes 7:3

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”
Psalms 40:2

“But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.”
Psalms 13:5

“At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
John 16:23-24

“Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give in spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”
2 Corinthians 6:10

“I lie in the dust; revive me by your word.”
Psalms 119:25

Which verses speak the most to you? Leave your answers in the comments!