This devotion is a monthly ministry of the Pee Dee Baptist Association, comprised of 32 Southern Baptist churches in Dillon and Marlboro Counties. For more information call 774-8062.
Featured is Rev. Rob Pierce, pastor of Latta Baptist Church.

Dealing With
Tragedy and Loss
You know, when someone dies around here and they’ve lived a long life, we know that one day we’ll die and we sort of expect it. When a younger person dies, we don’t like it. But when a child dies, it really hurts even if we didn’t know them.
As a pastor, I’ve officiated the funerals of many people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. I’ve also officiated funerals for infants and children. It’s never easy.
We know that life is short, it’s a vapor, yet it hurts when someone dies that we love. Having gone through that experience, you can minister to others who are going through the grieving process today.
Jesus said in Matthew 5, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The word “Blessed” means “Happy, as a result of divine favor from God.”
It really makes no sense when you read what Jesus says, that a person who mourns will be comforted, unless you understand that the comfort comes directly from the Lord Jesus Himself. Only because of the Lord Jesus can you experience the riches of God’s Kingdom in the midst of your circumstances. Only God can comfort you in the time of crisis in your life. Only He can bring you comfort when you mourn.
When you read what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:3:-11, you understand that even the apostle Paul dealt with severe affliction, was comforted by God in order to comfort others. Read it and you will see that even the apostle Paul was so afflicted that he wanted to die.
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; (4) who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (5) For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. (6) But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; (7) and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. (8) For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; (9) indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; (10) who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, (11) you also joining in helping us through your prayers that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayer of many.
If you want to be able to get through the circumstance of life, to move forward even in the midst of a crisis in our lives, we must first realize that, ultimately, our comfort can come only from God.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne on grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
Another truth we must understand is that God wants us and desires for us to release everything to Him…… the hurt, the heartache, the pain, the past.
Understand that Jehovah God, the God of all Creation, is the only One Who can solve your problems. He wants to comfort you, and He wants you to humbly release your problem to Him and quit depending on yourself.
The fact is that we need each other. That’s one of the reasons that God wants you to be a part of the local church. You have a contribution to make to your church based on your life experience. Remember that you’ve never experienced anything that hasn’t been filtered by God.
If you don’t have a relationship with the Lord, call 1-800-633-3446 and talk to someone today. Visit a local church and see how you can make a difference because of what you’ve been through in life