2026-07-17 · Written by the SPS team
Grief, loss, and where God is in it
God is not distant from grief — He weeps with us. Jesus wept at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:35) even knowing He was about to raise him; lament is a biblical practice, not a lack of faith, and it's how two-thirds of the Psalms process pain.
Not a problem to be solved
Grief is not a problem to be solved. It's a journey to be walked. And for the Christian, it raises painful questions: Why did God let this happen? Where was He? Does He even care?
"Jesus wept"
The shortest verse in the Bible might be the most profound response to grief: 'Jesus wept' (John 11:35). At the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus didn't launch into a theology of suffering. He didn't tell Mary and Martha to 'trust God's plan.' He wept. He felt the weight of death, the pain of loss, the ache of a broken world — even though He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead.
If Jesus wept knowing He was about to reverse the situation, how much more does He weep with us when we can't see the reversal? Your tears don't offend God. They move Him.
Close, not distant
Psalm 34:18 again: 'The LORD is close to the brokenhearted.' Close. Not distant. Not waiting for you to pull yourself together. Close. The word in Hebrew carries the sense of intimate proximity — God pressed in close to the places that hurt.
Lament is a biblical practice
Lament is a biblical practice. An entire book of the Bible (Lamentations) is devoted to it. Two-thirds of the Psalms are laments. If you're grieving, you're in good biblical company. Pour it out. Question God if you need to. He can handle your honesty. And in time — maybe not soon, but eventually — you may find that He was there in the grief all along, carrying you when you couldn't walk.
"Jesus wept."
— John 11:35