Top Three Scriptures That Speak to Real Grief

When someone is grieving, it’s easy to feel unmoored—like the world has shifted beneath their feet. As a GriefShare leader, you’ve likely seen this disorientation in your group members, and also how Scripture can be a steadying force in that chaos, offering a language to use, validation, and comfort when words are hard to find.

The Bible doesn’t shy away from pain. Instead, it gives voice to sorrow and shows how God meets us in the darkest seasons. Below are three passages that speak powerfully to real grief—along with ways you can use them to encourage those you serve.

1. John 20:11 — Mary Magdalene’s Grief at the Tomb

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.” — John 20:11, ESV

Mary Magdalene’s posture at the tomb captures the disorientation of loss. After Jesus’ death, the disciples had gone home, but Mary stayed—frozen in grief, unsure what to do next. Her tears weren’t just sadness; they were confusion, longing, and disbelief all tangled together.

In your groups, many participants will relate to Mary’s stillness. They may say, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now,” or, “I can’t imagine moving forward.” This passage gives you a way to show them that being “stuck” in grief doesn’t mean they’re failing. Even Mary—one of Jesus’ closest followers—had to linger in the sorrow before she could recognize His resurrection hope.

How to use it in ministry:

• Encourage group members to name where they are—whether that’s numbness, disbelief, or exhaustion.
• Invite them to see how Jesus met Mary in her weeping, not after it.
• Remind them that God is not impatient with their sorrow; He draws near in it.

2. Psalm 37:23–24 — God’s Steady Hand in Unsteady Seasons

“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” — Psalm 37:23–24, NIV

This verse acknowledges both stability and stumbling. It doesn’t promise that we’ll glide through grief without faltering—it promises that when we do, God will catch us.

Grievers often feel like they’re failing at healing. They might think, “I thought I was doing better, but now I’m back where I started.” Psalm 37 gives them a different lens: stumbling is part of the journey, but falling isn’t the end of the story.

As leaders, you can use this passage to help participants see God’s presence in the ups and downs. His grip doesn’t loosen when they’re weak. Even small steps—getting out of bed, attending a group, praying through tears—are held firm by His faithfulness.

How to use it in ministry:

• Open a group session with this passage to remind participants that recovery isn’t linear.
• Encourage journaling or reflection: “Where have you seen God’s steady hand, even in small ways?”
• Offer it as reassurance when a participant feels discouraged about “not being over it yet.”

3. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 — Accepting the Season You’re In

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4, NIV

Even though none of us ask for grief, it becomes the season we’re in. Accepting that reality—rather than fighting it—can be the first step toward healing.

This passage helps people who are grieving see that mourning is not a detour from life; it’s a part of it. God has woven seasons of loss into the rhythm of human experience. Just as there are seasons of joy and growth, there are seasons of pain and reflection. Both are sacred.

For those in grief, this truth can feel freeing. It gives them permission to stop rushing themselves or comparing their journey to others. Grief may feel endless, but it, too, is a season under God’s care.

How to use it in ministry:

• Frame the verse as a group discussion starter: “What season do you think you’re in right now?”
• Encourage participants to consider what “mourning” looks like for them—crying, journaling, sitting in silence—and to view those moments as part of God’s appointed time, not something to escape.
• Use this passage at the close of a 13-week group cycle to affirm that their healing process doesn’t end when the sessions do.

Connecting Scripture to Your Ministry

These three passages—Mary’s weeping, David’s stumbling, and the Teacher’s seasons—reflect the full experience of grief: confusion, vulnerability, and eventual hope. They give leaders language for the moments when participants don’t have words.

When you guide others through these Scriptures, you’re not giving them quick answers—you’re helping them see that God understands the rhythm of their pain and walks with them through it.

GriefShare’s newest resource, What God Says About Your Grief: Comfort from Scripture after Your Loss, was designed for this very purpose. This book gathers passages like these and explores them in their biblical context—showing how the living Word speaks honestly and tenderly into sorrow.

It’s a tool you can use in multiple ways:

• As a supplement for participants who want to explore Scripture more deeply during or after their group.
• As a gift to someone in your congregation who’s grieving but not yet ready for a group.
• As a teaching reference for you and your care team to guide discussions on what God’s Word says about emotions, loss, and lament.

Every page of What God Says About Your Grief helps readers connect the reality of their pain to the timeless truth of God’s Word. It’s not a list of verses—it’s a guide to discovering how Scripture meets us in real grief.

Share the Comfort of Scripture

If your ministry walks alongside the grieving, equip your team and your participants with this new resource.

Digital version available now. Print edition launching soon!

Share What God Says About Your Grief