King Solomon was an important king who lived before Jesus. In his later years, Solomon wrote about what he learned from his long life, which you can find in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. In Chapter 3, it is written, “There is a time for everything; 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.”

When our heart is broken, we can’t imagine ever being happy again. We don’t want to be happy, or we may feel guilty even thinking about being happy. But there is a time for everything, and the heaviness of your sadness will one day lift.

King David, Solomon’s father, also experienced great mourning, and you can read about it in many of his Psalms. Psalm 23 is especially helpful because it describes the way God helped and comforted him: “He gives me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water.” During his times of great sorrow, God provided him with rest and calm.

Happiness may seem far away or impossible, but God’s hope encourages us that it will one day come. In Isaiah 61:3, God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell the grieving Israelites that He would, “bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” This verse assures us that it’s God’s nature to transform our pain and sorrow into something beautiful and joyful because that’s who He is. He loves us and will not leave us alone with our pain.

Reading your Bible and praying is the most helpful thing you can do during your time of sadness. Below are more of God’s promises and other helpful verses to comfort you and instill hope. Find the ones that stand out to you and cling to them because God is speaking to you through these words. Think about them over and over, and God’s peace and hope will find you.

Always remember that God loves you, and I do too.