Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Does your heart ever feel heavy and burdened at the thought of what others  are going through? Do you find yourselves lifting them up in prayer and asking for God’s strength, comfort, and grace upon them?  

We know as Christians we were never promised that life would be perfect or easy because we believe in Him. One thing we do know with complete “certainty”, is that if these individuals and families call upon His name, they can trust God to be with them through it all.  

He is God in the good times and in the bad. He carries us and we have the confidence of knowing we  may not understand, but we do know He loves us and He will take our pain and make something good come out of every situation. We have seen it through our own circumstances and through the experiences of others.

Where would we be without that hope – that expectation and confidence that He will be with us and give us His comforting and loving presence? I am constantly in awe of our God as I have seen Him give that strength and assurance, and seen how resilient and strong it made those who believe. We know that we have the encouragement of His Word to reassure us whenever we need it, and we have our own past experiences with His presence and care to comfort us and others. We know that tragic events can occur – we see them around us all the time and we are often left shocked and dismayed by their fierceness.

We may question God, search for answers, and even pray that He will give us wisdom and understanding. But sometimes there just aren’t answers and we have to trust in His divine care. I have found over time and through my reliance on Him that our real hope and satisfaction doesn’t come from solving the mysteries of faith, getting our questions answered, or in trying to rationalize why God would let such a thing happen. Real hope comes from the encounters we have with the one true living God, our Creator and Sustainer of life.

If we don’t know Him for the God He is, sense His presence, or feel His love, tender mercy, comfort, assurance, peace and joy, then answers aren’t all that important. They are empty and futile. But through truly knowing Him and understanding His unconditional love and care, we know we can live each day with hope, comfort, and  peace. I can’t imagine life without that “overflowing” hope nor can I imagine life without Him.

It is  comforting to be reminded that God understands our grief and sadness, and He will provide the strength and comfort that is needed to carry us through. He will walk with us in our grief, sorrow, and pain. For we have His promise in Psalm 30:5  “. . . weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”  If we depend upon His love and grace, we can always find hope and peace in His loving presence.

 Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the hope you provide through the power of your Holy Spirit within us, but even more we thank you for your presence in our lives and the love and care we know you will always provide. We ask that you comfort those who are going through difficult times and be a constant source of strength and peace.  Amen