APRIL 7, Matthew 5:4

Blessed are they that mourn? The world thinks that’s ridiculous! The one thing that the world tries to avoid is any form of sorrow or sadness. The philosophy of the world is “Don’t worry, be happy!” and there are multimillion-dollar industries built entirely on making sure that the world receives utmost pleasure and happiness.

What does God’s Word tell us? It’s the exact opposite – “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted”. This verse is a logical continuation of Matthew 5:3. If we know we are spiritually bankrupt, we would mourn over our own inability and sinfulness. But the world rejects this teaching. The warning is very plain and clear in Luke 6:25b, “Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep”. Our Lord is condemning apparent laughter, joviality and worldly happiness.

What then is spiritual mourning? Does this mean we have to be sad and sorrowful over everything all the time? No, what the Lord is actually telling us is that we should be sad and mourn because of our sins. Godly sorrow leads to true repentance, a humble mind, a constant dependence on God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit to purge away the sins in our lives.

Our Lord promises that one day, all this spiritual mourning will turn to great peace, joy and happiness when we are with God in His Kingdom:

Verily, Verily I say unto you, That ye shall
__________ and __________, but the world
shall __________: and ye shall be __________,
but your __________ shall be turned into
__________. (John 16:20)

Thought: Laugh now and weep later, or weep now and laugh later?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sins. Thank You for Your grace and mercy that You have showered on me, and I pray that You will cleanse me of my sins. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.