Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
This beatitude can be hard for us to understand because we often think blessed is synonymous with happy. However, Jesus points out that sadness can be a blessing. When we realize the depths of our own sin against God, it brings us to mourning. When we take a moment to search our hearts and find the hidden and dark places of our hearts we should mourn over the fact that we have sinned against a holy and loving God. It is during these moments that we understand the seriousness of our sinful choices and can fully grasp the mercy of God’s gift to us.
Through this mourning we understand more clearly that we live in a fallen world that is not the ideal situation. We live in a world that is a result of sinful choices and therefore we have times that we will mourn. We see things in the news that bring sadness. We often look at our own hard circumstances of this life and are very saddened. But Jesus points out that we are blessed. Even though we mourn over the depths of our own sin, Jesus promises we will be comforted.
Finally, we mourn when we lose loved ones. We have been given the opportunity to love deeply which inevitably brings deep mourning. During these times, Jesus is not saying, “Don’t grieve.” It is right and natural to grieve the death of others. Cry, pray and talk with the Lord. Be honest with him. He loves you and wants to help you with that pain.
Questions to Consider:
Have you searched yourself lately to uncover the hidden sins in order to mourn over them? Do you consider yourself blessed when you mourn? What circumstances are you looking at as a burden instead of a blessing?
Prayer Prompts:
Pray that God will help you understand the depths of our fallen world in order to mourn over sin. Pray that you would deal with mourning by leaning on the Lord.