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Through the Valley of Grief: A 365-Day Devotional of Spiritual Practices for Hope in Suffering
This year-long devotional invites you into simple, everyday practices and Scriptural truths to bring you hope in the midst of suffering and loss.
This year-long devotional invites you into simple, everyday practices and Scriptural truths to bring you hope in the midst of suffering and loss. Whether your sorrow is recent, you’ve long felt the pain of a loved one’s absence, or you’re lamenting a difficult situation, this book is an honest companion, offering validation for the hard days and support through the psychological stages of grief.
Author Mattie Jackson draws from her experience of grieving the sudden death of her young husband to walk with you from a place of heartache to one of healing and peace. Each one-page devotion provides a daily reminder that God is near to the brokenhearted, His mercies are never- ending, and He can be trusted. Along with helpful reflection questions and gentle prayers, the entries show you how to engage four essential practices on your
• Wail for what you’ve lost to overcome feelings of denial.
• Connect with the world around you to defend against isolation.
• Worship with honesty to push away bitterness and doubt.
• Hope for your future to guide you through despair and toward acceptance.
These devotions honor our human fragility and direct us to the God who helps us navigate our pain and restores our hearts. There are tears to be shed and is hope to be found even here in the valley.
This year-long devotional invites you into simple, everyday practices and Scriptural truths to bring you hope in the midst of suffering and loss. Whether your sorrow is recent, you’ve long felt the pain of a loved one’s absence, or you’re lamenting a difficult situation, this book is an honest companion, offering validation for the hard days and support through the psychological stages of grief.
Author Mattie Jackson draws from her experience of grieving the sudden death of her young husband to walk with you from a place of heartache to one of healing and peace. Each one-page devotion provides a daily reminder that God is near to the brokenhearted, His mercies are never- ending, and He can be trusted. Along with helpful reflection questions and gentle prayers, the entries show you how to engage four essential practices on your
• Wail for what you’ve lost to overcome feelings of denial.
• Connect with the world around you to defend against isolation.
• Worship with honesty to push away bitterness and doubt.
• Hope for your future to guide you through despair and toward acceptance.
These devotions honor our human fragility and direct us to the God who helps us navigate our pain and restores our hearts. There are tears to be shed and is hope to be found even here in the valley.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2024
23 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 8, 2026
Exceptional!!
This book was my devotional during 2025. My wife had passed in November of 2024 and Mattie Jackson helped guide me through my toughest days. Of course her words constantly pointed me towards Jesus the giver of life and peace.
I have recommended this book to many and bought it for another man who just lost his wife.
These pages are filled with hope. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
I'm reading through it this year as well!
This book was my devotional during 2025. My wife had passed in November of 2024 and Mattie Jackson helped guide me through my toughest days. Of course her words constantly pointed me towards Jesus the giver of life and peace.
I have recommended this book to many and bought it for another man who just lost his wife.
These pages are filled with hope. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
I'm reading through it this year as well!
October 10, 2024
Two years ago this month, I lost my eldest son at only 36. It was sudden. It was tragic. Not a day has gone by that I have not mourned, deeply. In the past two years, I have gobbled up everything I can find to help me find my way in this horrible situation (as long as I feel it's a trustworthy, Biblical source). I've read books that have brought hope, and I've read some that I had to put aside because they didn't resonate or held Biblical error. I've listened to preaching galore.
So about this source:
Because this is a year-long devotional, I'm not finished with it. I'm about 50 days in, but I feel that's a good beginning--enough to tell you that I will absolutely keep reading this book. It is one of the few devotionals that both spoke to my heart and gave voice to my grief.
The selections are brief, just enough to grab onto. This is important, because attention span is short in grief, and I don't know when one gets over that, or if they ever do. The way the book is broken down by practices throughout--Wail, Connect, Worship, Hope--at first didn't mean much to me, but as I've progressed through the entries and learned to understand more on this journey, they've made more sense. I sometimes go back to the introduction to understand them again.
I don't know that the grief "healing process" ever brings about full healing. From what I'm told, probably not until I see Jesus. But in a devotional like this, you feel like there's someone there to tell you that the journey you are on is uniquely your own, and that it's okay for it to be that way. You sense the Lord's hand holding yours. In short, this little book offers a venue to freely grieve and to be comforted.
I highly recommend it to anyone experiencing the death of a loved one, and I'm very, very sorry for your heartache and loss.
I highly recommend it to anyone experiencing the death of a loved one, and I'm very, very sorry for your heartache and loss.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
So about this source:
Because this is a year-long devotional, I'm not finished with it. I'm about 50 days in, but I feel that's a good beginning--enough to tell you that I will absolutely keep reading this book. It is one of the few devotionals that both spoke to my heart and gave voice to my grief.
The selections are brief, just enough to grab onto. This is important, because attention span is short in grief, and I don't know when one gets over that, or if they ever do. The way the book is broken down by practices throughout--Wail, Connect, Worship, Hope--at first didn't mean much to me, but as I've progressed through the entries and learned to understand more on this journey, they've made more sense. I sometimes go back to the introduction to understand them again.
I don't know that the grief "healing process" ever brings about full healing. From what I'm told, probably not until I see Jesus. But in a devotional like this, you feel like there's someone there to tell you that the journey you are on is uniquely your own, and that it's okay for it to be that way. You sense the Lord's hand holding yours. In short, this little book offers a venue to freely grieve and to be comforted.
I highly recommend it to anyone experiencing the death of a loved one, and I'm very, very sorry for your heartache and loss.
I highly recommend it to anyone experiencing the death of a loved one, and I'm very, very sorry for your heartache and loss.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
June 23, 2024
Full of encouraging scripture and devotional thoughts, this grief devotional is a balm for slowly healing the deep wounds of suffering experienced through a death.
As a leader in women’s ministry at my church, I look for books that can speak to the needs of women and what they may go through, in order to continually point them to Jesus. I have not read many books on grief but I am convinced that God will use this year long devotional as a powerful tool for healing the broken hearts of His followers, male or female.
Right now, I have close friends who have gone through unimaginable events leading to the death of dearly loved family members. I see them with this book; a guide leading them through the unbearable emotions, the grief of a planned future lost, and the strain of gaining the courage to be able to move on. The days that lie ahead of them can have hope through this guide as it contains scripture and insights into God’s promises, care and love for them, and speaks directly to the emotions they are working through.
I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.
As a leader in women’s ministry at my church, I look for books that can speak to the needs of women and what they may go through, in order to continually point them to Jesus. I have not read many books on grief but I am convinced that God will use this year long devotional as a powerful tool for healing the broken hearts of His followers, male or female.
Right now, I have close friends who have gone through unimaginable events leading to the death of dearly loved family members. I see them with this book; a guide leading them through the unbearable emotions, the grief of a planned future lost, and the strain of gaining the courage to be able to move on. The days that lie ahead of them can have hope through this guide as it contains scripture and insights into God’s promises, care and love for them, and speaks directly to the emotions they are working through.
I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.
September 18, 2025
I bought this book as soon as the preorder announcement came out, knowing nothing other than the title and author because of the impact of her first book, Lemons on Friday has on me as I grieved my husband's death. When I read the introduction, that it was the book she wished she'd had in the first year after her husband's death, I approached it with trepidation; I was approaching the 3rd anniversary and DEFINITELY didn't want to go back to that first year!
What I have found in reading it through this past year is that I found it not only helpful in moving forward where I am, but also to reflect on how far I have come.
Would recommend this book for sure, but since I read it at a different place, I'm not sure if I would have had the same reaction if I had read it in that first year.
What I have found in reading it through this past year is that I found it not only helpful in moving forward where I am, but also to reflect on how far I have come.
Would recommend this book for sure, but since I read it at a different place, I'm not sure if I would have had the same reaction if I had read it in that first year.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews