The Least Popular Bible Promise

“You will grieve.” - John 16:20

I (Bill) met Jesus as a teenager, and within the first year or two of following Christ, someone gave me the Bible Promise Book, which had all the promises of God in it. Well, most of them, anyway. It did not include the promise above, which Jesus gave his disciples just before he died.

I don’t think I would have memorized that promise as a new follower of Jesus. I was far more interested in being triumphant in prayer or experiencing God’s power. And while God does meet us in prayer and God does show up with divine power regularly (just get up to watch the sunrise tomorrow and you’ll see it on display), so many times it’s in our grief that we meet God the most. There’s something about being desperate, facing our losses, recognizing our need that opens us up to truly relying on God. When has that been your experience in life?

Take some time with this poem from a friend of City Church. Let it be your prayer today.

As you walk through the wilderness, 

   may your eyes be clear and your ears open. 

May your spirit be humbled by the reality of death 

   and the persistence of grief. 

May your heart be reassured by the resilience of life 

   and the perseverance of beauty. 

May you let God do what is God’s to do, 

   and may you do what is yours to do. 

May you let yourself be loved lavishly 

   and may you love lavishly. Amen. 

- Jeff Chu