God Can Use Grief To Power His Work

Matthew 14:12-13 - John's disciples came and took his body and buried it.⁹ Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.

 

It was one of the times that Jesus had to deal with the height of human emotions that accompanies grief. His cousin and his dear preacher….the one that had baptized him into his ministry… the one that God had chosen to prepare the way for His only Son…. had been beheaded.  What Jesus wanted and needed was some time alone to process the loss of his dear friend and co-worker…..so he climbed in a boat with the intent to withdraw a while to a remote place.

 

The scriptures are unclear as to just how long Jesus took to grieve. The story just says that he withdrew for a time to be with his father. Perhaps it was just the time on the boat….some believe he actually had a few days in the wilderness off the coast where the boat landed before the crowds who saw the direction the boat was headed caught up with him and massed one of the largest gatherings recorded to hear him teach and watch him heal the sick.

 

The thing that stuck in my spirit is that Jesus did not take forever to grieve. He must have sensed the large crowd gathering close to him…perhaps His father even told Him it was time to go back to the task for which he had been sent….but as soon as he saw the crowds and felt the hearts all around Him that needed His healing touch….His compassion prompted Him to begin to heal each one that had come.  Jesus used His compassion and grief to power a mass healing…and one of the greatest miracles recorded…the feeding of that large crowd with just 5 small loaves of bread and 2 small fish.

 

What a great reminder that God can take the emotions of grief… the deep pain that one feels when they must do without a loved one…. And use it to power His work. Its personal for me…for it is a wonderful reminder of one of the reasons I should thank God for my loss of Mitchell…for God used that loss in my life to reveal the ability He had given me to write. It catapulted me into a new task for Him….and opened my eyes and heart more deeply to the scripture as I study each night to prepare.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that the strong emotions of grief are not meant to stop us in a permanent sadness. We are to come to you with our deep sorrow and let you channel it into the power we need to do the work you have called us to do. Forgive me for the times that I have withdrawn for too long  time and let my sorrow expand into a pity party.  Remind me as often as you need to keep my heart thankful for the purpose it has revealed in my life. Amen.