“Grief never ends…but it changes.  It’s a passage, not a place to stay.  Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith…

It is the price of love.” (author unknown)

We all have or will experience grief.  Grief comes in different forms, shapes and sizes - trials, troubles and distress.  The greatest grief of all comes though when it is attached to someone we love.  It would be easier not to care, not to love.  It would be easier for us to just somehow disconnect from others and avoid the grief that comes from loving others.  But, the greatest human need is to love and be loved which comes from our creator and being made in His image.  No one experienced grief more than the savior of mankind - Jesus.  The prophet Isaiah foretold some 700 years before Christ’s birth what our savior would go through because of His love for you and me - “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…smitten by God, and afflicted.  He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” (cf. Isaiah 53)

- this was all the price of love!  Jesus willingly paid the price because of His love for all of mankind.  Jesus not only paid the price for sin, but He is our burden bearer - “by His stripes we are healed!”  You and I must come to Jesus for forgiveness of sin but He desires you and I to “cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us” - He loves you!

You and I aren’t meant to carry our burdens alone, give them to the great burden bearer - Jesus is His name!

“I must tell Jesus all of my trials, I cannot bear those burdens alone, in my distress He kindly will help me, He always loves and cares for His own.  I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, I cannot bear my burdens alone; I’m must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus, Jesus can help me, Jesus alone!”

(I must tell Jesus, Elisha A. Hoffman)

Pastor Rodney