Blessed (or happy) are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4). Isn’t this a great paradox? Naturally, we live in the constant quest to either escape or minimize sadness. Peter Pan taught Wendy that the way to fly was to “think happy thoughts.” Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:3 that we need to embrace our brokenness. Now we see the result of recognizing our absolute brokenness and spiritual poverty. We will mourn.
We live in a world that has been twisted and distorted by sin and its consequences. God did not create us for death, but for life. Hurtling through life toward death, we face the heartbreak of broken relationships, loss, sickness and disappointment. The believer is not supposed to paste on a blithe smile of indifference. Believers have also come to the place where they have mourned their sin. We no longer minimize sin as “indiscretions” or even” sickness.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 says that godly sorrow brings us to repentance. We realize that our offense is serious treason against the God of heaven, and we mourn and repent. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance, and that God has a purpose in all of these things. We relish the promise of comfort, but before there can be comfort, there must be mourning.
The comfort of God’s grace in Christ can only be poured out in the setting of brokenness over sin. The Puritan Thomas Watson said, “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” It is in Christ that the believer can say, “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” I don’t need to airbrush my life to make it appear that I am not going through troubles. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
In the most challenging circumstances, lean on Him and you will find grace and comfort. Bereavement and sickness and poverty and betrayal have all been finally defeated at the cross so that the Lord can promise us in the Word that these momentary and light afflictions are working in us a far more exceeding weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). God has a purpose. You will not understand the depth of it, but God is working. Let the love of your Savior strengthen you in the darkest of days. God never promised us deliverance and healing in every circumstance. Sometimes we experience these blessings, but many times we do not. We will mourn our sin. We will mourn our circumstances, but in all of these things, the believer will know the sweetness of the presence of Jesus.
