Cloak or Cloud

I believe most everyone who reads this, most everyone in general, has felt grief. Suffered loss; through death, the disintegration of a relationship, the destruction of a marriage, the unexplainable suffering with illness, the things that are beyond our control.

It can become overwhelming, all encompassing, like a large, heavy, hooded cloak weighing down our every move, our very existence. 

But our grief shouldn't define who we are, shouldn't be all our lives are lived through.

It could be a cloud that is always just on the peripheral, and sometimes brings a shadow over our life for a moment of time,  but then moves on so the sun can shine again.

Easier said than done. 

One of the things to help remove the "cloak" of grief is to let someone else carry it

📖  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus is offering a swap....our yoke of grief, weariness and pain for His...which He says is light...meaning easier to bare, designed with hope, peace, even joy. 

He says that He has come to battle back the darkness that the "cloak" holds us in.

📖  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

📖  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

We can replace the "cloak" with something else that we are provided....armor.

📖Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

The cloak of grief shrouds us in despair, hopelessness, apathy.

When we take that helmet of Salvation; a helmet covers our heads where our minds reside, we choose to follow Christ, we choose to let Him become our Savior, our warrior, the One who will battle grief and despair for us.

We strap on the belt of Truth, trusting in His truth and not listening to the lies the enemy tells us; that we are unloved, alone, have no hope or future.

We are loved:

📖 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

📖 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 

We put on the breastplate of Righteousness, His righteousness...not our rightness.

We strap on the shoes of Peace that will carry us through each day with a gratefulness that allows us to share what He has done for us.

We carry the shield of Faith before us...because it will repel the darkness and despair the enemy tries to throw back at us.

And we pick up that Sword of the Spirit everyday...and carry it with us...we read, listen to His word every day, so it fills our hearts and minds.

We have what we need to exchange the cloak of grief for the cloud that may cast a shadow once in a while, but we are confident the shadow will be cleared by the Son.

Our grief will not define us, our armor will!

🙏My prayer for you today is if you are burdened down with that cloak of grief, you let Christ replace it with all He has. So you can feel content, at peace and filled with assurance, so when the cloud brings a shadow, you will feel strong enough in Him until is passes over.❤