Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. — Psalm 31:9
Grief is something that will strike our lives from time to time. Grief may present itself in the form of a death of a loved one or close friend. It could present itself in the form of tragedy or circumstances which we were not planning for.
In this Psalm, David writes that he was consumed with grief. His reference to his eye being filled with tears to the point he could not see around him. He continues referencing his soul and his belly. The grief that he was experiencing was shaking him to the very core. The type of grief David described was the grief that will rob you of sleep. It robs you of rest, exhausts your soul. It’s the kind of grief that turns your world upside down. If you have experienced this type of grief, you know exactly what he is describing. If not, the Scripture here serves as an excellent warning for when those times are present in your life.
We cannot stop grief in this life. Until we get to Heaven, grief will continue to be part of our world and we must be prepared to deal with it. David gives us some great guidance in this same verse to help us know how to handle grief. He says “have mercy upon me, O Lord.” He does not run to drugs, alcohol, or anything else that may temporarily block the feeling. He does not run to his coworkers or anyone else willing to hear what he has to say.
Instead, he goes straight to God. He tells God all that he is feeling and what he is going through. You find later in the Psalm he writes the words, “Oh how great is thy goodness.” Those are not words spoken by someone who is still struggling with grief. Those are the words of someone who has surrendered their grief to God.
If you are struggling with grief, tell God exactly what is going on. Share with Him the feelings of your heart. If you share with Him and cast your grief onto Him, there is no doubt you will be able to share about the goodness of God.
