Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." What an incredible statement. When you have lost nothing, and nothing has been taken from you recently, it sounds so beautiful and encouraging. It seems like it is a wonderful promise that maybe when someone you love dies it won't hurt as bad. But that is not the promise. Maybe it makes us think that we, as believers, get a pass on the grieving process, but that simply is not true. It is not what Jesus is saying at all.
Jesus said the people that grieve, no matter what that loss looks like, regardless of what the object is, be it a loved one, a beloved pet, a job, an opportunity, finances, physical health, mental health, it could be anything at all, --those people are blessed. Blessed?? It sure doesn't feel like I'm blessed when I lose something or someone. But if we just stop at Blessed are they that mourn and we don't read the rest of the sentence we miss the whole point. It sounds kind of cruel almost to bless someone because they are grieving. Why are we blessed? Why did Jesus call us blessed when we mourn?
The promise is not that we will never hurt, or that we won't ever have hard times. Jesus told us in the Gospels that in this world we would have trouble. In John 16:33, in the red letters, Jesus again speaking says, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The reason we are blessed when we mourn is because we have Hope, the Blessed Hope. We have Jesus and He has given us a promise from His own mouth in Matthew that promises we SHALL be comforted. We will be consoled. We will be cared for in the lowest moments, in the lowest valleys. Jesus told us a couple chapters back in John 14:16-18 "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
Now do you see where the mourners are blessed with Comfort? Jesus is coming to each and every one of us that serve Him and He through the Holy Spirit comforts us. He is the Comforter! That is why we can face the uncertainty of tomorrow and all fear can be gone because Jesus lives. He lives inside each of His children and He is comforting those that mourn.
This Thankful Thursday I am thankful for my cousin, Tim. I am thankful that I knew him and that he loved me and cared for me and gave me some wonderful memories. He nicknamed me, "Bridgett the Midget" when I was a little kid. I understand the term "midget" is not politically correct but he just called me that because I was a short kid and it rhymed. It was just in jest. I am thankful for the privilege to be able to hold his hand and pray over him and I know God moved on Tim's behalf. I am thankful for the power of prayer and for what God can do. I am thankful that Jesus is alive and that means we have HOPE because Tim placed his faith in God. He received his license to minister and preached last Sunday. Now he is Home. Everything he lived for in these last days of his life... the message he shared with his whole heart... he gets to see the fruit of his labor as he now is in the presence of the Lord. the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:8, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
It may seem strange that on this Thankful Thursday I am grateful for this topic, but I am thankful that I do not mourn like the world who is without hope. I have the blessed assurance that Tim is in a far better place than I am. He is with God and he has no more cancer, no more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering, no more swelling, no more torment. He saw through a glass darkly but now face to face. It just encourages me to draw nearer to God. Lord, help us all be ready when You call our name. We must labor while we have the chance, friends. Work now while you can. We are not promised tomorrow and one day it will be over. Our fighting and striving for the good fight we are battling in this life will be over and we will have Jesus welcome us in to His paradise. What a day that will be!
I am 42 years old and most of my family has died now, the majority of them through some type of cancer. It has swept through our family swiftly and there are very few of us left, many are not in good health that remain. I do not take my days on earth lightly. If I could have one wish, one desire, one goal it would be to reach the whole world for Jesus Christ. It would be that I would tell everyone about the goodness of God. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. He is loving and kind and quick to forgive. Jesus already paid for your salvation. It is free. It is yours just by putting your trust in Him. Have you done that? If you have, I am so thankful! Let's help encourage one another, pray for and uplift each other on our journey we have left. If you haven't, please don't wait. You never know when time is up. Please do not put off making the best decision you could ever make. Ask Jesus to be your Savior. Tell Him that you believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins. Confess with your mouth that you believe Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and now is alive forevermore. If you ask Him to forgive you of your sins and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you are saved. It is that easy! It is that free! But don't stop there.
Find a church that is teaching from the Holy Bible and get yourself a Bible. Tell me if you need a Bible and I will make sure you have one. Read it every single day. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to help you understand what it means. It is spiritually discerned so that means you cannot read it like a regular book. You need Him to give you wisdom and knowledge to help you understand it. Surround yourself with other believers and if you have the opportunity to get baptized in Jesus' name then do that! Give your life to Jesus and you will soon see that your life changes. You will make better choices and you may have to change who you spend time with. You will lose your desire for the things you once craved in this world but you will get a hunger and a thirst for His righteousness and the Bible says you will be filled! You will never regret making Jesus the Lord of your life. You will never be the same.
I am thankful Jesus saved me with His merciful grace. He loves me and He has never given up on me. I would have given up on me by now but Jesus never does. He loves us all so much He gave His life for us. Do not wait another minute to ask Him into your heart.
I pray something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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