If grief were a destination, no one would choose to go there. It’s the inescapable, often unforeseen turns that land us in that sorrowful place.

We’re told grief is something we must go through, but what if the dark tunnel goes on and on? What if we find ourselves stuck there?

Jen Croucher recently shared how God’s Word was the Truth that set her free from grief. Her story is told in the hope that it comforts and dispels the darkness for others.

For over a decade I carried the heavy burden of grief.

On April 2, 2009, I got the call that wrecked my world. My only big sister had been tragically killed in a car accident.

She was my best friend and second mom. We spent every birthday together, talked daily, and never argued. We had so many things planned.

After the call, I went to her house to pack up her things, and the pain broke me. There was her wet towel, her Bible, all her things left like she would be right back. When she got in the car that day, my sister didn’t know she’d be hit head on and die because a driver couldn’t wait to read a text.

I felt like I died too. Without her, I had no idea who I was. I shut down parts of my life because I felt like I didn’t deserve to be happy, just like she didn’t deserve to die. The grief consumed me, and though I didn’t want to carry it, I also couldn’t seem to give it up. I felt like my grief was the last act of love I was giving her.

I wanted to be free from the pain. I wanted to let it go without letting her go. So I saw a therapist and a psychologist, but nothing was helping. I kept reading my Bible, and nothing clicked. Until one day . . .

I read a verse that I’d read a million times before, usually in the King James Version, but on this day I read it in the New Living Translation. It was Isaiah 57:1-2:

Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die.

These words hit me like a ton of bricks and gave me the breakthrough I’d been longing for. Tears started streaming down my face when the truth hit me. No, my sister didn’t deserve to die, but she did have God’s protection. He can see what we can’t, and He was keeping her safe. My sister is now resting in His peace!

Finally, I could let go of the pain, suffering, and grief—because I knew that she was in the most beautiful place and that one day we would be together again. I felt a huge weight lift from me.

God is so good and so faithful. The grief I carried after my sister’s death stopped me from fully living, and it made me sick and depressed. But there is such power in God’s Word. Praise God!

I highly encourage you to get the NLT because it is much easier to understand and less intimidating than other translations. I am forever grateful for the NLT because through it and with Christ, I have finally found freedom from my grief.

We would love to hear your NLT Story. You can share it with us here

*Photos are stock photos

The New Living Translation (NLT) was first published in 1996, and since then more than 50 million copies have been sold. It is consistently among the top English translations in terms of copies sold each year. The NLT was created by a team of 90 top Hebrew and Greek scholars working with texts in the original languages. Tyndale’s commitment is to make the Bible understandable and accessible to all readers. Accordingly, the translators’ goal was to create a modern English translation that was true to the meaning of the original texts and was as readable and dynamic as The Living Bible, a paraphrase by Kenneth N. Taylor that was first published by Tyndale House in 1971.

The central committee of twelve scholars and English-language stylists reviewed and approved every word of the New Living Translation. After the first edition was published in 1996, the BTC decided to go through the entire text of the NLT again to work at refining the translation’s precision even further. The second edition was published in 2004.

The NLT was created under the auspices of Tyndale House Publishers, and Tyndale is the primary publisher of the NLT. The Bible Translation Committee is a semi-independent body that is responsible for ongoing review of the text of the NLT.

The NLT Bible Translation Committee has seen significant changes with the passing of Dr. Grant Osborne, general translator for the Gospels, and Dr. Norm Ericson, general translator for the Epistles. Recent committee discussions have focused on the need to include younger scholars who represent the next generation of translators. They will offer fresh insights as they participate in overseeing the NLT text into the future.

Lynn Cohick, PhD, is the Provost of Northern Seminary and Professor of New Testament. She has written The Letter to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament) and co-authored with Amy Brown Hughes Christian Women in the Patristic World. In addition to her administrative responsibilities at Northern, she teaches in the MA in Women and Theology program. She also directs the Women, Theology, and Leadership track within Northern Seminary’s DMin program. She serves as President of the Institute of Biblical Research. As a member of the BTC, she will be specifically responsible to oversee ongoing review of the Gospels and Acts in the NLT.

Nijay K. Gupta, PhD, is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. His recent books include Paul and the Language of Faith and A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies. He has published commentaries on Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Philippians, and Galatians (forthcoming), and has served as chief editor of Bulletin for Biblical Research and Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters. He is co-editor of two important forthcoming works: Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (2nd ed.) and The State of Pauline Studies. As a member of the BTC, he will be specifically responsible to oversee ongoing review of the Epistles and Revelation in the NLT.

The Bible includes many types of literature, from storytelling to poetry to serious teaching. Some content lifts you up, and some makes you sad. Its writers are warm and contemplative, tough and abrasive, full of praise and steeped in sorrow. There is a lot to deal with and much to consider in the eternal messages of the Bible.

The last thing you need is to struggle with archaic language and awkward sentence structures.

The New Living Translation has a flowing, effortless writing style that makes for comfortable and meaningful reading, whether silently or aloud. It doesn’t make you try to figure out what’s being said, so you can get right at what it means and what it means for you. You spend more time understanding the Bible and less time trying to understand the Bible.

That’s why it’s vital for every generation to have Bible translations available in the language people currently read and speak (often referred to as their “heart language”) rather than in the language of previous generations.

The New Living Translation assures access to the Bible’s truth and power for people of our generation.

The New Living Translation has roots in a bold drive for biblical accessibility and a commitment to helping everyday people connect with God and his Word.

Since Tyndale House Publishers was founded, our approach to Bible publishing has bucked publishing trends and
conventions. Fifty years ago, Kenneth N. Taylor, founder and translator, understood the importance of making the Bible
accessible to everyday people, and we carry on his passion and commitment today.

Our willingness to be radical when it’s necessary to help people understand God’s Word has never diminished, and it continues through the distribution and reading of the New Living Translation.

Learn about all the principles.

David wrote many of the psalms, but not all of them. We know of at least six other musicians who wrote the psalms in this book because their names are provided at the top of each psalm they wrote. Other psalm writers received no lasting credit for their efforts. Perhaps receiving lasting credit for the Kingdom contributions we make is not important either. God knows and will remember.

Learn more about the Life Application Study Bible.

Learn more about the Life Recovery Bible

Purchase the Life Recovery Bible

Notes from the Every Man’s Bible

Part of becoming mature is realizing that following our own desires only leads down a dead- end street. We remain “infants” as long as we demand our own way and are always divisive. We should examine our lives to see if this characterizes our relationships. If so, we need to confess our sin and ask God to help us grow up.

Each person has a part to play in accomplishing God’s work on earth. No one person is all- important, and no one is unimportant. We must beware of elevating some of God’s workers while tearing down others. Our focus should be to elevate God and show respect for all those who do his work. We, too, should do our part, whether it is planting, watering, or harvesting, to accomplish God’s overall plan.

It is possible for our intelligence to get in the way of our spiritual progress. As we analyze what God calls us to do, we may find it somewhat foolish or demeaning. Sometimes following God’s plan will not make perfect sense to us. We might even find it embarrassing at times. Regardless of how well we
understand or how comfortable we feel, God’s way is best. It’s fine to try to understand, but we must do so with the intention of following God’s will even if it doesn’t make perfect sense to us.

Learn more about the Every Man’s Bible

Learn more about the Wayfinding Bible

12-Step Devotional from the Life Recovery Bible

“We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.” Step 11

Most of us need to desire something before we will wholeheartedly seek after it. Until we realize how much God loves us and cares about the details of our lives, we probably won’t have the desire to pray to him. Until we sincerely believe that he has completely forgiven us, we will be ashamed to face him. If we hold to our misconceptions about God, this step will be a formidable chore rather than a joy.

The life of King David should give us hope. After he had come face to face with his own sinfulness, he was able to sing, “What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers. All of us must come to you. Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple” (Psalm 65:1-4). God wants us to be like those who lived and served in his Temple, walking freely into his presence. He wants us to know that we are welcome and valued before him. (See also Matthew 10:29-31.)

God is always present with us and can be a source of joy and happiness for us now. We can look forward to spending time with him and living in his presence every day.

Learn more about the Life Recovery Bible