Yes, we grieve; and grief is a healthy part of healing.  Jesus himself grieved.

But we grieve as those with hope!

One day the crowd yelled, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

A few days later, some of the same people yelled, "Crucify him!"

Like the crowd surely we can be just as fickle.

But praise God, Jesus says to us what he said to the crowd, "Father, forgive them ...."

Jesus is the True Vine.

He is the one perfect, essential, enduring vine.

No branch bears fruit in isolation; we, the branches, must abide in the vine Jesus.  We are dependent upon Jesus and His Word.

How do you know if you're abiding in Jesus?  What kind of fruit are you bearing (Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:5-8)?

Psalm 85 is a go to Psalm during times of discouragement.  It reminds us to:

Remember God's faithfulness in the past.

Pray for God's restoration in the present.

Wait for God.

Look expectantly for what God will do in the future.

Jesus is the three-fold solution.

He is the Way to God.

He is the Truth about God.

He is the Life eternal with God.

All are welcome in the house of the Lord.

All service in the house of the Lord is valuable whether it be considered small or large, private or public.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd which means he is uniquely good, not just morally good, but beautiful, winsome, excellent, and so forth.

He is uniquely good because He is God.

He is uniquely good because He gave his life for us.

He is uniquely good because He knows everything about us and loves us anyway.

Psalm 81 challenges us to examine ourselves.

Are we only giving God lip service?  Does our lives reflect the Gospel we profess?  Do we honor God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him?

Asking these kinds of questions is actually a sign that we're seeking growth and maturity.

Jesus is the Door of the Sheep which means he is promising:  salvation, safety, and satisfaction!

Psalm 80 is a call to repentance, so that the Lord might restore us!