When Was The Last Time You Opened Up The Bible To Comfort Someone Who Lost A Loved One In Death?

Question

What Scriptures Did You Read.? Be Serious.

Answer 1

Give Comfort to Those Who Grieve

"Jehovah has anointed me . . . to comfort all the mourning ones."-ISAIAH 61:1, 2.

JEHOVAH, the God of all real comfort, teaches us to be concerned when others experience calamity. He teaches us to "speak consolingly to the depressed souls" and to comfort all who mourn. (1 Thessalonians 5:14) When such help is needed, we provide it for fellow worshipers. We also show love to those outside the congregation, even to those who may not have given evidence of any love for us in the past.-Matthew 5:43-48; Galatians 6:10.

2 Jesus Christ read and applied to himself the prophetic commission: "The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, . . . to comfort all the mourning ones." (Isaiah 61:1, 2; Luke 4:16-19) Modern-day anointed Christians have long recognized that this commission also applies to them, and the "other sheep" gladly join them in that work.-John 10:16.

3 When disasters strike and people are left brokenhearted, they often ask, "Why does God permit calamities?" The Bible clearly answers that question. However, it may take time for someone who has not been a student of the Bible to appreciate the answer fully. Help is provided in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. As a start, however, it has proved to be a comfort to some people just to see in the Bible a text such as the one found at Isaiah 61:1, 2, since it expresses God's desire for humans to receive comfort.

.MOREOVER, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who are sleeping in death; that you may not sorrow just as the rest also do who have no hope." So wrote the apostle Paul. After giving assurance concerning the resurrection hope, he concluded: "Consequently keep comforting one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:13, 18) Offering comfort is what a speaker at a funeral service basically wants to do. But it is also what all of us can do for others who sorrow because a loved one has died. What, then, can we offer in the way of comfort?

Sorrow is a very natural human reaction. There are numerous examples in the Bible of God's servants who showed sorrow at the loss of loved ones. For example, the Scriptures tell us that "Joseph fell upon the face of his [deceased] father and burst into tears over him and kissed him." (Gen. 50:1) Also, the sons of Israel "proceeded to weep for Moses on the desert plains of Moab thirty days" following his death. (Deut. 34:8) Helping us to understand that sorrow is no sign of imperfection, John 11:35 says that the perfect man Jesus "gave way to tears" in connection with the death of his friend Lazarus.

True Christians properly sorrow when relatives, friends or neighbors die. They will miss these deceased ones for whom they had affection. (John 11:36) But because of Christians' Bible-based hope, they do "not sorrow just as the rest also do who have no hope." That is, they do not give in to unlimited grief and extreme displays of emotion as sometimes is the case with persons who do not have accurate knowledge about death and resurrection. Nevertheless, Christians should be sincerely interested in caring for the dead in a dignified way and in offering comfort to survivors.

One means of doing so is in connection with the funeral itself. If a request is made, the body of overseers in a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses can arrange for a capable speaker to deliver a funeral talk, at a location such as the funeral home, or the gravesite before burial. There is no charge for this comforting service. And it is comforting, since the speaker arranged for through the congregation will be one knowledgeable about God's Word. He will be someone fully conscious of the seriousness of the occasion, a man capable not only of offering comfort to those who have suffered loss but also of building up spiritually those in attendance. This is done by explaining the marvelous hope the Bible gives, in short, the hope of a future earthly paradise in which both the living survivors and the resurrected dead can have a share.

Funeral services conducted by Jehovah's Witnesses may begin with a song if desired. That is particularly so at memorial services held at Kingdom Halls. Among songs in their songbook often used are those entitled: "The Resurrection Joy" (Number 53, based on John 11; 20:18; Revelation 20:13), "Throw Your Burden on Jehovah!" (Number 87, drawn from Psalm 55), "Balsam in Gilead" (Number 97, employing Jeremiah 8:22) and "The Resurrection-God's Loving Provision" (Number 98, based on Jesus' words at John 5:28, 29).

Often the speaker will include some words about the deceased person. It may well be that while alive he had been exemplary in his Christian devotion, had successfully met various trials through applying Bible principles or in other ways had shown that he desired to make a good name with God. (Eccl. 7:1) Those attending such a funeral may find such warm remarks comforting and also helpful as they strive to lead Christian lives.

The speaker will likely bring in as well the Bible-based hope for the dead that the deceased knew of, if he or she had been a true Christian. Also there might be some tasteful remarks to the effect that because all of us are sinners, including the deceased, death is inevitable in the present system. It is the common heritage of all.-Rom. 5:12; 6:23.

The speaker does not foster among the survivors the false hope that they can in any way help their loved one by paying for Masses or something of the sort. No amount of ceremony will bring the dead back nor change that one's standing before God. (See 2 Samuel 12:19-23.) But what a comfort to know that the dead are unconscious, not undergoing torment or suffering! And to know that the future of a dead loved one is in the hands of a just and loving God, who has made a resurrection provision, is a comfort itself.-Eccl. 9:5, 10; Deut. 32:4.

A scripture quoted in the funeral discourse given in Ohlsdorf is the one found at Psalm 90:10, which says: "In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; and if because of special mightiness they are eighty years, yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things." Statistics back up the Bible. According to The World Almanac (1979), human life-expectancy rates range from between 30 and 40 years in such countries as Bangladesh, Benin, Chad and Mali to a high of just over 70 (but well below 80) in Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands and a few other countries.

Accordingly, some might liken their "life account" to a bank account, at birth credited with about 25,600 days. When young, this might sound like a great deal of time. Still, at best, when a person is 25 about a third of his days have been used up, like money spent. Like a dwindling bank account the remaining time of life lessens with every passing day. At 35 one's life at best is almost half over. But even at that, just as a sudden recession or an unexpected turn of events can wipe out a person's bank account, unexpected circumstances can suddenly deplete a person's "life account." Is this the purpose or scheme of life, for one's days to be spent in this way, all the while being full of "trouble and hurtful things"? The death of a loved one often gets survivors thinking about this serious matter.-Eccl. 7:2.

Still, it is possible to offer comfort to mourning ones. You can point out that man's Creator lives a purposeful life, and forever. If, as the Bible says, man was created in His likeness, why should man's life then be so short? (Gen. 1:27) This seems hard to harmonize with the God of love we learn about in the Bible, a God so obviously interested in the happiness and contentment of his creatures. But what a comforting relief it can be to learn and accept from the Bible that God can undo death!

The Scriptures assure true Christians that they are serving the God "who makes the dead alive." (Rom. 4:17) Jehovah God promises to do away with death by emptying mankind's common grave of the dead, returning them to life in an earthly paradise. With such a hope, no wonder God's servants do "not sorrow just as the rest also do who have no hope."-1 Thess. 4:13.

Looking Ahead to Paradise

In a funeral talk or even when you personally comfort a bereaved person, often attention may be called to God's original purpose for the earth. That purpose was for the paradisaic garden of Eden to be extended to cover the entire globe. (Gen. 1:28) We can trust that God's purpose cannot, no, will not, be thwarted. True, in his wisdom he permitted imperfection to continue among humans until his Son would come to earth and offer a ransom sacrifice, and until the heavenly kingdom would be established. But we can be absolutely confident that a paradise will be restored earth wide. So the dead who come forth in the future earthly resurrection actually will be in line to experience a life far better-more peaceful and rewarding-than that before their death. What a comfort can be that assurance backed up by God's Word!

It was with these thoughts still running through my mind that I bade farewell to the bereaved relatives and acquaintances of my friend's deceased mother. Leaving the beautiful parklike paradise of Ohlsdorf, I had to rejoice in the hope of the other kind of paradise just ahead-an earthly paradise for the living, but one in which even the dead will be able to share.

Answer 2

Hi- Well as someone that suddenly lost a sister that I was very close to, I have some understanding of what you're feeling. I guess all I can say is although it never totally goes away, your coping skills to this will become easier with time. You will always feel the loss, but how much you feel it gets easier over time and even more as you grow up. Right now though, you're missing him all over again with the new pressures of middle school that you wish you could talk to him. So my suggestion is do exactly that- sometime when you're alone, say all the things that you would say to him, as if he was right there with you. Go ahead and have the heart to heart talk you're wishing you could have and say all those things that are on your mind. This is what I have done at times when I'm missing her, and I hope it can help you too.

Answer 3

I've never done that before. Alot of times I've seen people blame God for their loss. So quoting scripture doesn't seem to be an option. Not saying I won't try it but lets face it when we lose someone we often blame God and there is no consoling us at that time. Maybe a few days later after they have had some time to think about it then I would do it.

Answer 4

Seriously, use discernment when doing that.

Consider this:

"The same words mean life to some, and death to others."

With something as powerful as the word of God, there are those who would only hear condemnation by those words. It would make things more difficult, and grieve them more. That may not be the thing to do if you mean to comfort those who are 'dead' in spirit. If that's what you mean to do, mind you.

Just consider that.

The scriptures I have used:
2 Corinthians 5
5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.
7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

Answer 5

It has been a while.

My sister in law's father never came in one night after hunting.

I recieved a phone call at about midnight. My brother and sister in law wanted to go up north and join in the search for her father. They needed me to come and stay with their two little ones.

Before they left, I gave my little Gidean bible that I had from my college days (long long time ago) to my sis in law, and told her to read it anywhere it open up to.

I had a feeling that she was going to need comfort from a book that she had no interest in reading before (or since actually).

I received the news that her dad had been found and had passed away out in the woods before they did (they were still traveling up there).

Although my brother and sis in law are still believing non believers (god is great in theory, but not good enough to change your life for) they did rely on Gods word to help get them through that horrible time in their lives.

Answer 6

Never, I think.

My first girlfriend's mom opened up the Bible randomly when she was near death and found Psalm 118:5, "In my anguish I cried to the Lord and answered by setting me free". She became a Christian right then.

Answer 7

If you TRULY believe that God has taken someone you love.. AND you accept your life to FULLY be with God, then this scripture will make sense to you.

It has to deal with proving the WILL of God, just as God took my brother 1 year ago today, I was able to be fortunate to hang out with my brother before he passed. God's grace allowed me to do this... hang out with my brother and get to know him really before he passed.

This passage comforted me, re-assuring me that God's Will has something to do with my entire family. I did not know my brother's faith before he passed, but because God allowed me to tell him I love him before he passed, then I KNEW God knew my brother.. therefore, being apart of God's Will, I understood this passage..

Hebrews 9:16

New International Version (NIV)

16In the case of a will,[a] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. 18This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

I hope this helps..

I have more teachings ....

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/oceanremix
or
http://geocities.com/oceanremix/linesoftruth.html

Answer 8

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words. (1Th 4)

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14)

Answer 9

never... because the Bible always teaches there is violence and hatred.. the love is a little bit hard to understand..

Answer 10

its been awhile and they were Christians so i didnt preach...instead we talked...it was my sons gf that died in 99