7 Comforting Bible Verses for Miscarriage
If you are reading these words, you are most likely walking through one of life’s darkest valleys. My heart aches as I write these words to you today, precious friend. You might be navigating a miscarriage yourself, or you might be supporting a loved one who is coping with this loss. Today, we’ll turn to God’s Word for seven comforting Bible verses for miscarriage.
First, I invite you into my own journey through this heartbreaking loss. From Chapter One of my book, Lean Into Grace, here is the story of one of my darkest days. After I share my story, we will look at these Bible verses for miscarriage.
7 Comforting Bible Verses for Miscarriage
Morning light pierces the smudged windowpane like a golden ray of hope. After a string of grey days, the dancing sunbeams encourage my weary heart. Climbing from warm sheets, I feel hopeful—like maybe this long season won’t last forever.
I’m eight weeks pregnant, and the weeks have been passing at a slow crawl. I’m trying not to worry, but this pregnancy has been weird. After debilitating sickness throughout my first two pregnancies, I’ve barely felt nauseated this time. I’m trying not to be nervous about what the lack of sickness might mean. Maybe it’s a gift from God.
After breakfast is served and our daughter heads off to school, I turn on a cartoon for our three-year-old and head into the powder room to freshen up. Alone in the tiny room with the plum-colored walls, I have no way of knowing that my life is about to be turned upside down. In the amethyst glow of the bathroom, I discover what no pregnant woman wants to see. I’m bleeding.
The Moment of Realization
My mind races through every concern from the past weeks: not feeling sick, my sunken abdomen, no cravings for chicken nuggets for breakfast, and waking up with energy instead of nauseated exhaustion. It hits me like a gut punch, and I immediately know I’m miscarrying.
“Oh no,” I whisper as a dozen different emotions flood me in an overwhelming stream of disbelief, disappointment, sadness, and fear.
Sitting with my head in my hands on the closed toilet seat, I feel the urge to look toward heaven and ask the most obvious questions: Why is this happening? Why couldn’t this all work out like we hoped—as we planned?
I imagine you’ve had this moment, too. The circumstance you feared became your reality. The worst-case scenario swooped in and became the crisis on your doorstep, and you put your head in your hands and asked why. Your heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces, and the grief threatened to suffocate you.
I attempt to swim through the deep waters of my scattered emotions and get my bearings as I sit in the bathroom.
My knee-jerk response is to find my phone and text my three closest friends before hurrying to call my mom, my husband, and the doctor. I’m about to leave the room in a state of panic when something stops me. I sense a soft and quiet invitation. It’s an invitation to take a deep breath and draw close to my heavenly Father first in this moment of devastation.
I will call the doctor. But I will press close to Jesus for a few minutes first.
Turning to Jesus in the Middle of the Loss
It seems preposterous, but before I pick up the phone, I slip into the quiet of the basement to connect with the One who holds my days in his hands.
As I sit in the silence, I consider the medical truth regarding my situation: Many women experience bleeding throughout pregnancy and deliver healthy full-term babies. This is possible in my case, but my intuition tells me otherwise. I’ve had a hunch this might happen for weeks.
In the stillness, I let my mind sort through my wide array of emotions. On some level, I am afraid. I’m afraid of what the days ahead will hold. I’m afraid of what my body will have to endure as we walk through the nitty-gritty part of this loss.
I am also heartbroken. I had dreams and hopes for this child. I’d been imagining stroller walks on cool autumn days and rocking our little one beside an open window on warm September nights. My dreams have been dashed.
The Death of Hope
We all face times of pain, sorrow, and brokenness. In these times, we lose more than our dreams. It often feels as if hope has died with our dreams.
When these times come, self-effort often begs us to hurry through the valley of sorrow and escape the pain. Meanwhile, the gentle voice of God’s grace says, Bring your brokenness to Jesus and let him do what you cannot do for yourself—let him shape your heart to look more like his heart in this valley of sorrow.
Relying on Human Strength When Hope Is Lost
As I sit in the quiet of our basement and try to make sense of what is happening, all I can think about is how I might fix this sad situation. The voice of self-effort tells me I can heal our broken hearts by making sure I get pregnant again before the daffodils emerge in the springtime sunlight.
Nobody has to be sad.
I can totally fix this!
I’m just about to find a calendar and begin hashing out my plan when the voice of grace offers a vastly different invitation.
The voice of grace whispers, Don’t put your hope in fixing this situation with another pregnancy. Put your hope in the fact that Jesus is with you right now, in the middle of this tragedy.
It’s not wrong to fix what’s broken in our lives; however, when we put our hope in fixing broken situations, we circumvent healing encounters with Jesus, our Living Hope. Meanwhile, Jesus invites each of us to lean into grace by putting our hope in his presence with us—not in our abilities to restore what feels broken in our lives.
Where Is Your Hope?
Let’s be clear: there is a time to take action. There is a time to get out of bed, come up with a plan, and take steps to move beyond our pain. However, there’s a big difference between putting our hope in our plans and putting our hope in Jesus’ presence with us.
It’s important to note that not everyone responds to crisis situations by immediately shifting into “fix-it” mode. We might respond by analyzing, withdrawing, or ignoring difficult circumstances. Some of us cope by filling ourselves with food, distracting ourselves with entertainment, or fulfilling ourselves through workaholism.
Regardless of how we cope with sadness, every time we turn to sources other than Jesus for hope and healing, we plant our feet on unstable foundations. We leave little room for Jesus to heal our hearts and transform us into his image through our pain.
Walking Through Heartbreak with Jesus
When our hearts are hurting, it’s tempting to sprint through the valley of grief. More than anything, we want the sorrow to pass, and we want to feel “normal” again. We often avoid our difficult emotions because they’re painful, and we want to escape the pain and discomfort.
As we attempt to avoid our pain, the Lord offers a different invitation: Instead of hurrying through our difficult emotions, Jesus wants us to walk through our heartbreak with the ongoing awareness that he is at our side.
Like a good Shepherd leading his sheep through a dark valley, Jesus promises to stay close during our broken seasons. He is Immanuel—God with us—and he will never leave us.
One way we can turn to Jesus in our heartbreak is to open his Word and let it wash over us and heal us.
Let’s see what the Bible says about finding healing in Jesus.
7 Bible Verses for Miscarriage
1. Psalm 139:16 (ESV)
In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
After navigating my miscarriage, this verse brought me great comfort.
God writes all of our days before one of them exists. Sweet friend, you can claim this verse for your unborn child’s life. We don’t always understand why God allows loss, but we can trust that he is able to use it for good.
This leads to our next verse.
2. Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
God will use this loss to deepen you, soften you, and shape you. He knows how it feels to lose a child.
Press into him. He wants to use this for good.
3. Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
As you mourn this loss, cling to this promise. God is near. He will not abandon you.
Resist the temptation to turn away from him in anger or offense. He wants to heal you and bless you. He is able to redeem this loss.
4. Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
We simply cannot understand all of God’s ways.
Take time to grieve this loss. Meanwhile, ask God to help you trust him with what you cannot understand. This is where faith is tested.
5. 1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
You might be feeling anxious as you look to the future. God is inviting you to cast your worries onto him. He wants to help you live with the deep trust that he will fulfill his purpose.
6. John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
How do we discern the difference between the work of the enemy and the work of God? Satan steals, kills, and destroys. God brings life and goodness.
God permitted this loss, but he is not a God of destruction and death. This can be a difficult grey area to discern, but rest in this: God is always good. He wants to use this loss for good in your life and the lives of others. He will heal your heart.
7. Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
As you walk this out, God is gently inviting you to climb higher in trust. In the meantime, he will help you know him in a deeper, more experiential way. He will also make your paths straight and heal your heart. Will you turn to him today?
Final Thoughts as You Ponder These Bible Verses for Miscarriage
Dear friend, my heart aches for you. I also want you to know that you are not alone.
I invite you to return to these Bible verses for miscarriage and loss as often as necessary as you endure this loss. Give yourself time to grieve. A miscarriage is a deep loss, and it will take months or even years for you to fully walk through this grief. Meanwhile, keep returning to the Lord. He is your source of comfort and strength.
I also invite you to continue on the journey into God’s grace with me by reading the rest of my story about walking through my miscarriage. God has healed my heart, and he wants to heal you, too. Download this chapter of my book for free right here.
