Can You Find Joy Again After Loss or Heartbreak

How do you find joy again after your heart has been broken? How do you look ahead with hope when your whole world has been ripped apart? These are valid questions, and today, with the Holy Spirit's help, I hope to answer them. When my husband passed away, it left a massive void in my life. Looking back, those first few weeks were somewhat of a blur, just trying to do all of the necessary notifications and making funeral plans. After that, when everyone had gone home, I would sit alone in the silence, wondering what was next. The grief would roll over me in waves, and sometimes it hurt so bad that all I could do was cry out to God from the very depths of my soul. When you are at that place, and the grief is so fresh that your spirit feels raw, it's hard to imagine that you will ever be happy again.

Maybe that sounds like you. Perhaps you've experienced the loss of a dear loved one, which left you almost paralyzed with grief. Maybe your marriage fell apart, and you feel betrayed, wondering what you're supposed to do now. You are not alone in this, and it can leave you in a very broken place. There is hope! There is a possibility of renewed hope and restored joy. It is possible to look towards the future and see a beautiful sunrise on the horizon. Jesus Christ is the source of our hope, and He can restore your joy.

You see, Jesus understands grief, and He understands the sting of betrayal. Here are a few scriptures that remind us of how much He understands and how He comforts us in our affliction:

Isaiah 53:3 - "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;" ESV

Psalm 34:18 - "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." ESV

Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." ESV

Now, you may be thinking, "God may give me comfort and He may understand my pain, but how am I ever supposed to feel joy again?" That's a good question. When you have experienced a significant loss or endured heartbreak, the grief will always be a part of your life, but there is hope. It is in drawing closer to Christ and realizing who He is and where our hope truly comes from that our joy can be restored.

Psalm 30:5b - "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Luke 6:21b - "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."

Psalm 16:11 - "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalm 126:5 - "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!"

When you lose someone, it leaves a void. Jesus is the only one who can enter that void and fill you with the joy that comes from knowing Him. It is a joy that sustains you when you are broken and hurting. His joy is not based on our circumstances, but on knowing Him.

If you are hurting today and you don't see how you could ever feel joy again, I challenge you to spend time with the Lord and allow Him to minister to your heart. He loves you, He understands your pain, and in due time He will restore your joy and give new purpose to your life.

God bless and may the Lord grant you His joy and peace in the week ahead!