Bible Verses for Mourning Various Types of Loss

Loss hits us all, sometimes when we least expect it.  It might be the loss of a friend or family member or even the loss of a dream or expectation. Regardless of the loss, it brings with it a unique set of emotions that need to be processed. Some loss is followed by tremendous guilt and remorse. Others are followed by a sense of deep sadness yet peace.

Before we share some Bible verses for mourning, let’s look at how others talk about their loss, what they remember about their experience, or how they’re responding to it:

“The night I lost my father, I’d crawled into bed with my mom. My parents were divorced and for some reason that night I was afraid. In the middle of the night, my mom got a call from my Godfather that my dad had passed away due to a drug overdose.”

“My twenty-two-year-old brother died while on an overseas trip. He was just walking around with his girlfriend when he fainted and had a seizure. They couldn’t resuscitate him. The last thing I’d said to him was to ask him to tone down the vacation pictures on social media because I was jealous and couldn’t stand to see them anymore.”

“I lost my grandmother this morning. She was a spry 84-year-old who raised two children and three grandchildren. I can’t even begin to describe how I feel right now.”

“I lost my best friend six months ago and I miss her so much. She had an eating disorder and bipolar and she killed herself. She didn’t even make it to 19.”

“I lost my dog today and while it might not seem like a big deal to some, she was my constant companion for 10 years.”

“I lost my job and I don’t know how we’ll make the mortgage this month.”

When we are toddlers, we cry when we lose our shoes or a favorite toy. We may experience great loss, but our capacity to understand its true impact is limited. Little losses are the end of the world and the permanent loss of someone or something important in our lives is difficult to comprehend.

As we grow, we continue to experience loss and – to a degree – we understand the big picture impact of that loss. We can never escape loss, but we can learn how to process it in a healthy manner, talk to someone about it, and find Bible verse comfort in a time of loss.

Let’s take a look at seven Bible verses that can help you find hope and comfort after a loss.

Scripture for Loss of Loved One and Bible Verse Comfort in Time of Loss

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4

When you’re experiencing an onslaught of emotions due to loss, it is hard to feel like you will ever feel peace or comfort again. Many have even gone so far as to say, “I’ll never be happy again,” but the Bible promises us that when we mourn, we will be comforted.

That comfort itself will be a blessing. As you navigate your loss, remember that your mourning is natural and it is okay. As you process, the Lord promises to bring comfort.

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

Loss of any kind is heartbreaking and it can cause significant wounds that, if not dealt with, linger for years to come. The young girl mentioned up above who lost her father almost certainly feels those wounds as she processes everything that occurred and living life with the absence of a father.

God promises to heal the brokenhearted and – like a gentle physician who tends to injuries with bandages and wraps – bind up your wounds so you can heal.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

One of the most popular questions after loss is “why?” “Why did this happen?” “Why did she have to die?” “Why does God take people so young?” While we will never fully understand why things happen, it is a comfort to remember that as Christians, God works all things for the good of those who love Him.

God will use your loss, heartache, and sadness for good and you can trust that later down the line you’ll surely see glimpses of that good until one day in Heaven you have a better understanding of what God’s purposes were.

Our perspectives as earthly beings are so limited. We see life through the lens of life on earth, but God sees the bigger picture of eternal life in Heaven. When you can surrender your sadness and trust in His great wisdom and eternal plan, you’ll find comfort that this is not punishment or discipline or a lack of love. It will be worked out for your good.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Those who are on the other side of grief will often say that their loss and the comfort they experienced enabled them to comfort other people with greater empathy and compassion. God promises to bring you comfort in your time of loss and model how you can then go on to comfort others in their time of loss.

If comfort is elusive and sadness is overwhelming you, pause for a moment and ask God to comfort you. Tell Him the Bible says He is near you because you are brokenhearted and ask Him to pour His comfort upon you until it is so tangible you feel wrapped in His embrace. Even this hard experience now can be used to help others, and one day you may be the very person who allows someone to feel the touch of God’s comfort through your own hands.

You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. – Lamentations 3:58

When a person “takes up a cause,” he or she works towards something important or takes on something that is important to someone else as if is their very own priority.

If you have experienced loss, your cause becomes working through the loss, grief, and emotions involved. God takes up your cause. He takes up your grief, hurt, and sadness as if it was His own and begins to process it with you.

He redeems your life and your situation. Commit this scripture to memory and in those quiet moments when you’re alone with your thoughts and feel nothing but grief, remind yourself that God has taken up your loss and He is working to redeem all things.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. – Luke 6:21

This is a promise of hope! It is a reminder that although you weep now, laughter will come. Believe in this promise. Don’t put pressure on yourself to get back to normal or feel happy right away.

Allow yourself to weep and process your grief through the lens that laughter and joy await you. Weeping and laughter and joy and sorrow coexist in this life. Both emotions and expressions help us build rich lives and understand how meaningful life and people are.

This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your word has revived me. – Psalm 119:50

Hopefully, as you read this last verse – having read all of the scripture before it – you can testify that God’s word has revived you, even if just a little. God gives us His word to revive us in our affliction. You may be angry with God and that’s okay. Communicate your feelings, but encourage yourself to continue to read the Word and to pore over it.

If at any time we need to be revived, it is after a loss. Your tendency might be to neglect your Bible reading and draw away from God, but we’d like to encourage you to do the opposite. Scripture has the power to fill you with life, peace, and comfort.

Christian Grief Counseling in Irvine

Please know that if you are here and you have experienced a loss of any sort, we offer our condolences and are here to support you. Use these Bible verses for loss to guide you on your journey and commit to processing your grief rather than burying it.

We have heard many people say the phrase, “I think everyone could benefit from counseling at some point in life,” and we agree with that. If your loss is overwhelming you and impacting other areas of your life or relationships, we would love for you to reach out to us about our Christian counseling services.