Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

 Be glad, O children of Zion,

and rejoice in the LORD your God,

for He has given you the autumn rains

for your vindication.

He sends you showers,

both autumn and spring rains, as before.

The threshing floors will be full of grain,

and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—

the swarming locust, the young locust,

the destroying locust, and the devouring locustf—

My great army that I sent against you.

You will have plenty to eat,

until you are satisfied.

You will praise the name of the LORD your God,

who has worked wonders for you.

My people will never again

be put to shame.

Then you will know that I am present in Israel

and that I am the LORD your God,

and there is no other.

My people will never again

be put to shame.

Joel 2: 23-27

 The Law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

bringing joy to the heart;

the commandments of the LORD are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

the judgments of the LORD are true,

being altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the comb.

By them indeed Your servant is warned;

in keeping them is great reward.

Who can discern his own errors?

Cleanse me from my hidden faults.

Keep Your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless

and cleansed of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in Your sight,

O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:7-14

Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

or set foot on the path of sinners,

or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the Law of the LORD,

and on His law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

yielding its fruit in season,

whose leaf does not wither,

and who prospers in all he does.

Not so the wicked!

For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD guards the path of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 

For whoever wants to save their life f will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.

Matthew 16: 24-27

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

May these Word of God comfort those of us who mourn our loss...