I’ve recently lost a loved one and I am struggling to accept this. Please refer to me scriptures that will help me through this terrible time. And another question, will we ever see or meet our loved ones again when they pass away?
First of all, I am so sorry for the loss of your loved one. You are experiencing grief that belongs only to you. We all endure loss differently, however there is One who can comfort and heal every broken heart. We read of the Lord in 2 Corinthians 1:3 which says, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT.” The Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”
Let’s look further at the ministry of the Lord Jesus in Hebrews 4:14-15, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Simply put, this means that Christ, as our Great High Priest understands all our sufferings, all our diseases, all our weaknesses, etc. The Lord not only sympathizes with us in our infirmities, HE empathizes with us. He FEELS our pain. He UNDERSTANDS what it is we are going through. He can comfort. He can heal.
I realize that nothing I write will take away your grief in an instant. Grief is a process that you must go through to find peace and comfort. The Lord will go with you though that healing process. He has given us a precious promise that “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5). To those who know Christ as their savior, we have the unending presence of the Lord in our lives. He will not desert you while you are suffering. As One who completely understands your suffering, He will stay with you. He will listen to your prayers. He will hear your feeble groans of pain. He will bring joy back into your life. The Lord assures us in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
How can you receive this comfort and healing? By putting it all in the hands of the Lord and allow Him to minister His peace, strength, and comfort to your heart. The Lord invites us in 1 Peter 5:7 to be, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” HE CARES FOR YOU. What an amazing truth! He is touched with the feeling of your infirmities. He longs for you to be well again. The Lord promises us in Isaiah 66:13, “I will comfort you.” I encourage you to pray to the Lord. Tell Him of your pain. Tell Him how bad you are hurting. Tell Him you know of His promises to comfort and heal and ask Him to minister to all your needs. Seek His face every day. Worship Him. Praise Him. Even as you pray for His comfort, thank Him for the work He will do in your life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Will you ever see your loved one again? If he/she was a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are, too…then you will definitely see them again. Let’s consider the words of 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Paul, comparing the present with the future, reminds us that in this life our knowledge is limited, but that when we enter the fuller life of Heaven those limitations will be removed. This suggests that in Heaven we shall know each other in a fuller and a better way than we know each other on earth. Is it conceivable that our capacities for knowledge and recognition of loved ones will diminish in Heaven? Surely not! It will surely increase.
I hope all this is helpful to you. I will be praying for you. I encourage you to read your Bible daily to get to know the Lord better. Pray constantly so that you will learn to give Him all your burdens. As He begins to comfort and heal you, do not forget to thank Him for His love for you and for healing your broken heart. (402.4)