Grief is one of the most difficult experiences we must face. The best Bible verses about grief can offer comfort during our seasons of grief. Whether you are grieving the death of a loved one or any other kind of significant loss, these verses can be a great encouragement for you.

Meditate on these Bible verses about grief when sadness wells up inside of you. They will help you draw close to God even in your worst pain.

And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.Deuteronomy 34:8

Grieving takes time. It cannot be rushed. If you try to rush it, you will suffer more. The Israelites grieved Moses for thirty days. That may seem like a long time for a nation to grieve for its leader, but they needed to do this for their own healing. You need to grieve for as long as it takes. Don’t feel bad about taking a long time to grieve your losses. God will be right beside you the whole time, carrying you through your valleys of grief.

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

God takes notice of your broken heart. Whether your heart is broken due to death, breakup, or even the loss of a pet, God wants to draw close to you in your pain. When your suffering is greatest, God is closest to you.

If your spirit feels crushed, God can handle that too. He will gently and lovingly save you from your shattered state. Like a caring father, he holds you in the palm of his hand, offering you healing and comfort. Draw close to him to feel his loving presence in the middle of your grief.

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

Grief can feel just as painful as a physical wound, though no one else sees it but God. He does not take any enjoyment out of seeing you suffer. Rather, he offers healing to you as a skilled physician, binding up your unseen wounds. The promises of God’s Word act like medicine, ointment, and bandages for your heart, mind, soul, and spirit during grief.

These Bible verses about grief will soothe you and protect you from further infection from your enemy Satan. His promises will reset your brokenness so you can heal and move forward. Jesus is your Healer who is ready to bind up your grief wounds.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.Psalm 23:4

The dark valleys of grief can feel lonely and scary. But we must walk through them to get to the other side of healing. It’s such a blessing to know that God is right beside us in the darkest shadows of our grief.

He will use his rod and staff not only to guide us but to protect us from spiritual attacks. Though you may feel alone and afraid, God is most certainly with you. He is your Shepherd, leading you through the valley toward new mountain heights.

But, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.Lamentations 3:32

God saw your grief before you knew about it. His sovereignty means that he rules over all things, even allowing grief as the main channel toward healing after loss. God loves you with unfailing love, which is greater than the ocean. Because of his great love, he offers compassion for your hurts. Your suffering matters a great deal to him, and he will draw near to you as you pour out your heart before him.

And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”Mark 14:34

Jesus spoke these words the night before he died. He understands the crushing weight of grief even better than we do because he bore the sins of the whole world. He knows that grief crushes us down to our souls, affecting us at the deepest level.

In his humanity, he longed for his disciples to sit with him in his grief. You also need caring people to surround you when your grief feels heavy. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a Christian counselor for encouragement and support.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.Revelation 21:4

This is a verse filled with the hope of heaven. Someday, when all things on earth are set right by Jesus, we will never experience death or crying, mourning or pain. He will introduce the New Heavens and the New Earth, where we will never have any more suffering again. When you are grieving, this verse can point your focus heavenward, where you can have greater hope.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

Unbelievers grieve without hope because they don’t understand the promise of heaven. If you lost a loved one who was a believer, you have hope for seeing them again in heaven. This truth can be a great comfort to you.

Even if you don’t know if your loved one truly believed, you can trust that God is sovereign and has all things under control. You can also find assurance in your salvation, knowing that you will be with God in heaven someday, as well as reunited with other believers.

The God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.Psalm 18:32

The grieving process requires strength. You may feel weak and inadequate to work through the grieving process of denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, and acceptance. But you don’t have to rely on your own strength to power through this. Instead, read these Bible verses about grief and rely on God to supply strength when you feel weak. He will keep you upright and secure on the path of grieving, so you can experience the healing you need.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

God himself is your strength, defense, and salvation. He will protect you from both human enemies and spiritual enemies. He will be your Defender against everything that comes against you. As you trust him to provide for you, your fears will decrease. He will never tire or grow weary of helping you work through your grief.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.Isaiah 40:29

The process of grief is physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. You may feel drained when you consider all the thoughts, emotions, and tasks you need to process. But God promises to give you power where you feel weak and strength when you are weary. You can simply pray and ask for power and strength in the very moment when you need them, and he will supernaturally supply them to you.

Christian Counseling for Grief

The grieving process isn’t meant to be gone through alone. You will heal faster by getting support from people who will encourage you and offer practical help. A Christian counselor can provide the affirmation, insight, encouragement, and support you need to heal on the deepest levels. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help in overcoming your grief. A caring counselor is ready to walk through the valley with you.

Photos:
“Hen and Chicks”, Courtesy of Noemi Macavei Katocz, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Boots”, Courtesy of Chris Hardy, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Dead Flowers”, Courtesy of Luis Reyes, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Purple Flowers”, Courtesy of Julie Blake Edison, Unsplash.com, CC0 License