Monday, June 20, 2016

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:1-2

As you begin your time today, thank God for listening to your heart, for giving you his strength, and for providing a firm place for you to stand today.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:4, 10-12

No one likes to mourn. No one wants to mourn. Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” Likewise, few volunteer to be the target of insults, persecution and slander! Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you and say all kinds of evil against you…!” Is Jesus saying we are to seek out tragedy, sorrow and persecution? 

No! Jesus is simply acknowledging that those who follow him will experience sorrow and suffering – but that even these difficult and painful trials will result in the blessing of God.

Many scholars believe that Jesus had at least three kinds of mourning in mind when he said, “Blessed are those that mourn…” He was referring to the mourning that comes with having loved others and then losing them to the inevitability of death. While death itself is not a blessing (although heaven certainly is) the capacity to mourn is a blessing because it is preceded by the experience of love. We only grieve that which we love. We see this in the story of Jesus and Lazarus, when onlookers observed Jesus’ tears and commented, “See how he loved him!” Those who mourn greatly have loved greatly – and this is a blessing from God.

Secondly, Jesus had in mind those who look at the pain and brokenness of the world and mourn because this is not what God intended. Such mourning is blessing because it urges us to step into the pain of the world with the hope of the gospel.

Thirdly, Jesus was speaking of those who mourn their own sinfulness. As we grow closer to Christ, the Holy Spirit makes us more intensely aware of the sin that clings to our own hearts. This sorrow drives us to our knees in genuine repentance and produces the joy of forgiveness and purity of heart.

Our culture routinely encourages us to avoid pain and to pursue personal comfort at all cost. Jesus teaches us that pain, while not pleasant in and of itself, can be that which reveals to us the very blessing of God. 

In what ways do you mourn today?

Have you lost someone that you loved? Ask God to fill your heart with the blessing of having loved deeply. 

Do you mourn the brokenness of the world around you? Ask him to allow you to minister in some way to that brokenness. 

Do you mourn your own sinfulness? Ask God to make you more and more aware of thoughts, attitudes and actions that do not reflect his purity and grace in your life – and allow him to remove them from your heart through confession and repentance.

Thank God for being faithful to you this week – and ask him to cause his word to continue to work in your heart and life.