Four Ways to Stay in Scripture When Your Strength is Weak
Lessons From a Widow: Guest Post
I sat on my couch in the early morning light, listening to the new silence in our home. My current Bible study book sat on the table in front of me, but the thought of articulating answers to questions regarding Paul’s letter to Timothy overwhelmed me. I knew I wouldn’t be attending the ladies’ Bible study this week—or perhaps for many weeks—so I pushed the book aside.
I knew, though, that I needed God’s Word. My soul hungered for comfort in the wake of the sudden death of my husband, and I knew there was only one place to find it. But trying to convince my body to do something other than stare out the window for a few hours that morning—was going to be an undertaking.
Grief’s Weight
Grief had a way of making every part of my body feel as though it was made of lead. As when a heavy anchor is heaved into the sea, my body felt it had no choice but to slip into the sea of grief. Heaviness fell over my chest, and it seemed as if the work to keep breathing might be too much. The thought of completing the most mundane tasks was exhausting.
But even with the heaviness in my body and mind that morning, I was determined to seek the God I so desperately needed. After a seemingly endless time in silence, pleading silent prayers to my Father, I reached for my Bible and opened to the Psalms. My eyes landed on Psalm 31:2. “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.” When the words hit my heart, comfort flooded my soul. I had a safe place to land in my grief and sadness—the arms of Jesus, right there in the Word.
God’s Word is alive and able to help us in our every need, but we must do our part in reading it so that it can do the work it’s so capable of doing. But how can we when we don’t have the strength to lift a finger? As I’ve walked through grief, I’ve found four ways to incorporate Scripture into my own life when exhaustion is ever-present.
4 Ways to Stay in the Word
● Open It. This isn’t the usual recommendation for Bible reading, but when the shock of grief leaves you paralyzed, it may be all you can do. I recommend opening to the Psalms and letting the Word do its work of rescuing your hurting soul; just cracking the cover sends a blow to the enemy!
When God met me in Psalm 31 that morning, I underlined everything that offered comfort on the two page spread surrounding it and left the Bible open. I read only that page all day. The Bible sat on my coffee table, my kitchen table, and anywhere I went throughout the house; I carried it with me and read it over and over.
● Listen to It. Listening to Scripture can be a beautiful way to bring comfort to our souls. The YouVersion Bible app offers audio versions of Scripture, and there are also apps like Dwell and Abide that add calming music overlayed with comforting voices reading the Word.
Those apps quickly became my most used. My children gifted me wireless earbuds, and I quickly discovered what a lovely gift they were. I could take a quiet break with God’s Word any afternoon, and I kept them by my bedside to pop in and listen to Scripture if I woke at night.
● Surround Yourself with It. Anywhere your eyes could fall during your day is a perfect place to put Scripture. You might not have the strength to write verses out, but the Bible App and even Google have many verse images you can print.
Bible verses hung on my mirror and kitchen cabinets and more verses adorned my hallway. My phone’s lock screen was a gentle reminder of Scripture, and the Bible app blessed me with a Verse of the Day notification every morning. I even purchased a few black t-shirts printed with Scripture messages to declare to my soul throughout the day the hope I have in God.
● Turn on Music: The Bible encourages us to be “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19). While it isn’t the same as reading your Bible, good Christian music carries spiritual truths our souls need during troubled times.
Most noise was too overwhelming for me, but I found some acoustic, peaceful songs that encouraged my heart. Listening to the lyrics and meditating on the truths these songs proclaimed helped me to proclaim them to myself.
Examining Our Thoughts
Yes, it is good to sit quietly before the Lord, laying open our hearts and thoughts to Him, praying and listening to Him. However, when our bodies and minds are overcome with grief, we must be especially careful not to allow our thoughts to spiral out of control. When the silence has settled over our homes as the one we love no longer fills it with their voice, their presence, or their laughter, we must seek to fill that loneliness with the Word. We may be tempted to fill the silence with mindless tv or arm ourselves with other distractions to numb our hurt, but only Jesus will satisfy the longing and pain we feel. Jesus is well acquainted with sorrow (Isaiah 53:3). He knows your heart and understands your grief. Let him begin to give you strength as you lean into him by leaning into the Word (John 1:14).
Remember, our God wastes nothing, not even this tragedy in your life. He has a good plan to redeem everything (Romans 8:28). In the midst of my sorrow and grief, each of these practices have been a lifeline to me, deepening my dependence on the Lord and reminding me of His good promises for the future.
The sadness and sorrow remain in my heart, but as He has faithfully brought me through each day, I’m learning to carry His joy and strength in my heart as well. The nights may still be long and some days almost too much to bear, but I will cling to this promise:
“Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will rise up on wings like eagles, walk and not faint, run and not grow weary” (Isaiah 40:31).
Lisa Chris: After my husband suddenly left this earth, I have become well acquainted with grief and sorrow. It has been hard, but it has been holy. Here on my page, I’ll share a bit of it all, praying it will encourage you to keep moving towards Jesus in your own sorrow.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are my strength and my hope. Help me not turn away from you in my sadness, but rather run into your arms for the comfort only you can give. Meet me here in the depths of my sorrow, and give me strength to overcome. Comfort me with your living Word and teach me how to live in this new and unexpected stage of my life. I wait for you and long for the day when You make all things new.
What a powerful guest post! Peace be with you. Thank you for sharing, holding the grief with you.
What are your favorite ways to be in the Word?