Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Devotion
The mourners referred to here are like the Lord Jesus, who was a man of sorrows. Though perhaps they are not immediately comforted in their troubles, divine provision is made for their comfort. In heaven, the blessed are perfectly and eternally comforted and all their tears are wiped forever from their eyes. “It is the joy of the Lord to which our way lies through a vale of tears” (Matthew Henry). Such mourners are comforted with a sense of God’s mercy, grace, forgiveness, peace, hope, and joy. Such mourners approach life from an eternal perspective.
To mourn means, “to feel or show deep sorrow or regret or sadness about the loss of something.” The kingdom-citizen has the ability to feel deeply over their own sin and the sin of others. They recognize how their sin impacts their intimacy with God. They also are aware of the impact other’s sin has on their relationship with God. Sin causes loss. Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death…” Sin causes spiritual death or separation from God. This is the greatest loss a person could experience. The kingdom-citizen mourns deeply over this kind of loss.
Those who mourn over this kind of loss will be comforted! Those who grieve deeply will experience God’s comfort and strength in their time of need. The problem is that most people don’t want to feel pain at any level. We create emotional and physical escapes to avoid pain. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus invites us to bring our burdens to Him. He invites us to trust Him with our pain. He promises that if we do this, “you will find rest for your weary souls.” Blessed are those who grieve deeply, for they will experience the comfort that only God can offer.
Questions to Ponder:
Are you able to empathize with those who are grieving? Do you turn to escapes to avoid feeling pain? Are you able to trust God with your physical and emotional pain? If not, why not? Are you able to comfort others with the comfort you have received from God?
Prayer Points
- Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to You as Comforter.
- Praise the Lord for His faithfulness, redeeming love, steadfast love, consistency in His personhood (nature). Praise Him for His friendship.
- Tell the Lord you are sorry for any sins against Him or others. Receive His forgiveness.
- Ask God to soften your heart. Pray that for our brothers and sisters at Oak Pointe. Pray we would have hearts broken and in touch with our depravity and dependence upon the Lord.
- Receive Spirit of God’s comfort in those difference places.
- Give to the Lord your heavy burden and receive His easy and light yoke.
Suggested Prayer
I love You Lord. I declare You and You alone are God of the Universe. Thank You Lord for forgiving me of my sins and for accepting me as Your son/daughter. Thank You for granting me eternal life and that I get to have fellowship with You. Fill me with Your Spirit so I may know You better Lord.
Thank You that nothing is hidden from Your sight. You see it all and You want it all. Lord, I ask that You help me to give You my sorrow, my loss, my lack, my pain and the suffering I am experiencing. Enable me by Your power to embrace what You have allowed and are doing. Help me to give You my heaviness and receive Your light yoke.
Thank You Lord that You really do stick closer than a brother. You are faithful to me and You want to give me Your joy, peace, contentment, hope for the future, and joy for my mourning. Thank You Lord that You even lead me beside quiet waters to restore my soul. Thank You for anointing my head with oil. Thank You that goodness and mercy are following me all the days of my life. Help me Lord to keep my eyes on You. Help me to allow You to come and comfort me. In the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.