Mourning and The Comforting of God: Devotional

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” Matthew 5:4

Jesus is clearly not speaking here of every kind of mourning, some of which is due to the natural consequences of sinful living in a sinful world. Rather, he speaks of those who mourn for their sins, in repentance, recognizing their wickedness before a holy and good God.

It is the “broken and contrite heart” that God will not despise (Psalm 51:17).

Remember the tax collector in Jesus’ parable? (Luke 18:9-14). He could not even look up to heaven, the burden of his own sin and guilt weighed so heavily on him. He smote his own breast and cried “God be merciful to me, the sinner.” This man, Jesus said, went to his home justified before God.

True, spiritual grief is God — not man — centered. People often “mourn” for their mistakes, but only because they are caught in a crime, or suffer themselves, or see loved ones suffer. But all sin (not just “big” sins) should cause the penitent heart to mourn, knowing that it grieves and dishonors God.

True spiritual mourning also leads to true spiritual repentance, a turning away from the old way of life and to the way of Christ (2 Corinthians 7:10). Mourning that is only outward and temporary will not be comforted.

But how will those who truly mourn for sin be comforted? How will they be consoled when they are mourning because of real sin, real burdens, and real repentance? They will be comforted because, through Christ, the source of their grief will be removed.

In Christ, they find forgiveness, healing, and the power to overcome sin. Ultimately, they will be comforted when they are removed from even the very presence of sin, in heaven. Blessed they are, indeed, who mourn for their sin.

Important lessons to note:

1. There are natural consequences to SINFUL LIVING.
2. Mourning for our sins and misdeeds from the heart is always driven from recognition
    of one’s wickedness before a holy, good and loving God.
3. It is God-centeredness that makes a man to go through spiritual grief at realization of sin.
4. Sin GRIEVES and DISHONORS God!
5. Mourning because of sinful act or behavior is a sign of godliness. This is a lead to true
    repentance, forgiveness, deliverance from the addictive power of the sin, impacting of 
    heartfelt healing.

Step No. 1: Godly Sorrow unto Repentance
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of:but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!”

Step No. 2: Confession unto acceptance of Forgiveness & Cleansing
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we CONFESS our sins, he is FAITHFUL and just to FORGIVE  us our sins, and to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins:and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”

Step No. 3: Abiding in Him
“Now ye are CLEAN through the word which I have spoken unto you. ABIDE in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it ABIDE  in the vine; no more can ye, except ye ABIDE in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that ABIDES in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing. If a man ABIDE not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye ABIDE in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done…”

Dr Scofield’s commentary:
“To abide in Christ is, on the one hand, to have no KNOWN sin unjudged and unconfessed, no interest into which He is not brought, no life which He cannot share. On the other hand, the abiding one takes all burdens to Him, and draws all wisdom, life and strength from Him. It is not unceasing consciousness of these things, and of Him, but that nothing is allowed in the life which separates from Him”
Keys: (1) do not hesitate to judge and confess EVERY known sin            (2) consciously endeavor to INVITE The Lord to scrutinize every                  INTEREST you engage your mind in.

God is our goal! Love always.

The Liteman T
Lagos, Nigeria