Given March 22, 2017

We’ve all heard and probably used the phrase, “Good grief!”  I heard a minister speak on this recently and had never thought that it seems contradictory.  The definition of grief is, “Deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death.”  This doesn’t seem to be good.  But can it be?

The Bible says that, “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).  So, grief can be good?  Think of the story of Joseph beginning in Genesis 37.  When Joseph was thrown in the pit by his brothers, he could have said, “Good grief!”  When he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison, he could have said, “Good grief!”  When he was forgotten by the king’s personal servant, he could have said, “Good grief!”  All these things caused Joseph terrible personal grief but, “the Lord was with Joseph,” (Genesis 39:2), and he was successful wherever he was.  We know that all these grief-causing things that happened to Joseph were working together for good and God rescued His people through the grief.

If you’re going through some grief now, remember that, if you let Him, God will be in control and He will turn your grief around into good.  So, if you feel like saying, “Good grief!” in your situation, try praying, “God, turn this grief into Your good, and I thank yo
u.”

My 89 year old mother has told me that her getting tuberculosis when she was young was a good thing.  “Good grief Mom!”  She lived in Newport News, Virginia where she contracted TB and was sent to a sanatorium hospital in Roanoke, Virginia to live there and be treated.  A young man from Wise also got TB at the same time and was sent to the same hospital.  His name was Bill, my father.  The two of them met there, fell in love and, as they say, the rest is history.  Good – grief!