Grief’s Unexpected Journey: 15 Comforting Devotions After Losing Someone You LoveSample

Feeling Numb

Sometimes grief numbs us. It’s confusing because there’s so much to feel—the sadness of loss, the love we have shared, even anger or frustration that we’re having to go through this.

But our minds and hearts can remain in a state of shock as we try to process and accept what has happened. In moments when we’re protecting ourselves from being overwhelmed, we need to remind ourselves that it’s okay to be here. It’s okay to not feel for a while. God has designed us in such a way that our feelings will return when we’re ready. It’s possible that we can have trouble feeling Him, too. In whatever way we are used to feeling His presence, we might not have that right now. This can be upsetting and confusing because, at the moment, we need Him more than ever! So, it’s good to remind ourselves that God is not our feelings. They may come and go, and they may help us sense a connection with Him from time to time, but He is beyond anything we will ever feel. We can trust that even in those times of numbness, He is closer than we can imagine. This is where faith comes in. Even if we have trouble feeling motivated or inspired to pray, we can remember Jesus’s words in Matthew 17:20 when He told His followers that all they needed was “faith the size of a mustard seed” (AMP), and the impossible could become possible.

If you feel stuck, wondering when you’ll feel reconnected in some way, remember to take your mustard seed to your Father, tiny as it may seem. Believe that He is bringing you through, and trust His timing. Know that you will feel all the feelings you need to feel, including His presence. And hold on to this reassurance: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 NIV). Keep calling on Him despite feelings, doubts, and fears. He has never left your side.

Lord, my feelings are in Your hands. I know, no matter what, that You are near.