Blessed are they that mourn:
for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

Why would Jesus say that we are blessed to mourn? He knows that all humans will suffer in this world and it is His pleasure to comfort us. When we mourn we cling to Him and that is where He wants us, clinging to Him at all times. Those who cling to Him will be comforted by Him. His comfort is indescribably peaceful and helps the pain to be bearable. These are also times that He uses to stretch our faith and teach us. It’s in the seasons of mourning that we are naturally humbled by our pain, thereby bringing us to a place where we will hopefully turn to God for comfort and healing.

Many use this time to get mad at God, blame Him for their pain and for not preventing it, and run from Him. This is unfortunate; by getting mad at God and turning away from Him and to the world for help, they are depriving themselves of His lasting love and comfort, and making unwise decisions that will only cause more pain. It truly is a blessing to mourn when you know the benefits that come with it.

We can not prevent painful moments. No one is exempt from pain. Why? Unfortunately, we live in a broken and fallen world, so it’s not possible to live a life without being affected by pain. It comes in so many forms; sickness, disease, death, loss, disappointment, betrayal, abuse, misunderstandings, etc. Those are just a few categories, and is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but hopefully you get the point. There’s no way around being affected by pain in this life.

Let’s dig deeper and see what God’s Word tells us about His plan to comfort us. Journey with me into the causes, the coping options, and how Christ can help.

 

Why doesn’t God protect me from pain?

Bottom line: God uses our pain for our benefit. Just like His Word doesn’t return void (Isaiah 55:11), He allows us to go through painful seasons for His purpose and our spiritual growth. Those seasons are intended to keep us close to Him so that He can protect us and teach us. Once you realize this and stay in a humbled state of mind – clinging to Him all day every day, never letting go, you will naturally reach a point that you no longer dread the painful moments that arrive. You will learn to look at them as another opportunity for God to pull you close for another loving teaching moment from your loving Heavenly Father. It’s in these moments that God is able to take you to the next level of relationship with Him. He makes it possible to have indescribable peace in the storms.

Many are born with a rebellious nature like Adam’s son Cain, Noah’s son Ham, Abraham’s son Ishmael, and Isaac’s son Esau, those ones who wrestle with God and run from His teachings because they want to do life their way. They want God to stay in Heaven, or on a shelf so to speak, and not interfere with their plans.

God is so gracious to us. He could literally strike us dead in an instant for our disobedience but He doesn’t because He loves us and is a forgiving God that wants to spend eternity with us. An example of what His immediate response to the disobedient can look like is what He did with Aaron’s son’s. After receiving the honor to serve God in a special way, and received teaching from God on how to conduct sacrifices in the Holy Temple, Aaron’s two anointed sons decided to do things their way. They totally ignored God’s instructions and warnings for disobedience. As a result, they tested God and He struck them dead on the spot in front of everyone.

This is God’s plan:

“The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.
For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away—all the souls I have made. I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way.
I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the LORD, who heals them.
“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God.” Isaiah 57:15-21

You have a choice to obey and follow His plan for you and receive His everlasting love, teaching, and comfort.

 

What does God tell us to expect?

God is not surprised by past or current events in this world. In fact, when you study His Holy Bible cover to cover, you discover that He teaches us what happened from the beginning and what will happen along the way throughout time until the end of time, and what eternity will look like. He is not surprised by anything that happens on this earth. God foretold it so that we would know that He is God, and so that no one could take credit for happenings and events, or say that God doesn’t know they are happening to us. God educates us so that we can prepare, and serve Him as we look for Jesus to return for us one day, as stated in the Bible.

We don’t have to be caught unaware either. Scriptures tells us that He will come like a thief in the night for those who aren’t living for Him or looking for His soon return. For His followers who are living for Him and looking for His trumpet to sound, He says in scripture that He will show those ones signs and the season of His coming; they are prepared and looking. The signs are showing that His return is sooner than we think. He tells us in His Word what to do, what to expect, and what to look for. He told us the whole story beginning in Genesis. It’s really fascinating reading when you study the whole Bible, the whole story, instead of only the last quarter of the story, the New Testament; the Second Testament.

Here are just a few passages where God tells us He has planned the whole story from beginning to end. There are no surprises for God, and no one can change His plan or do anything without His permission. He is the only living true God of Heaven and earth.  If anyone tries to tell you differently, stand on the Word of God, not man’s opinion. Line everything up with the Word of God. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Bottom line: Our Heavenly Father, Adonai, our God, is in control!

“Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” Isaiah 43:13

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” Isaiah 46:9-10

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” Isaiah 45:21

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” Psalms 33:11

When His appointed time comes, that trumpet will sound and Jesus will call up His Bride = His followers.

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” Ephesians 1:9-11

 

Count it all joy to suffer for Christ

Those who wholeheartedly follow Jesus and earnestly seek to love Him, obey Him, and follow His ways get to learn through a real firsthand relationship with Him, that suffering in this world is an honor and a privilege. Wait! What?!? You heard me right. That might sound shocking, but let’s think about that for a minute.

Jesus came into this world to love us, to suffer for us, and to die for our sins. It was an honor and a privilege to Him to do that for us. As His Bride, His servants, God’s children, it should also be our pleasure to do the same for Him; to love Him, suffer for Him, and be willing to die for faith in Him, if necessary.

James better explains it for us:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:1-8

Then Peter helps us understand,

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Peter 4:12-19

Here we learn that God uses our sufferings and our lessons from each event to help others who go through similar sufferings after us. We get to encourage others and show them what God has done for us. You see, God never wastes our pain; there is always a lesson to learn and share as we give Him the glory for the experience.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Those words are so encouraging to me and give such hope to not worry about anything, but to trust God and cling to Him every step. It’s takes trust and a mindset shift but once you do, there is such peace in the pain and in God’s process for you.

 

Why is it necessary for us to be humble, humbled, and to have humility?

Being in a humbled state of mind, is a gift from God. With that gift comes His abundant grace over you. His grace sustains you and protects you in all things.

On the flip side, most people are not interested in being humble because it requires you to give up total control of your life to God. Those wanting to do life on their terms are the reverse of humble; they are prideful. You may not even realize it has happened. You believe you are a good person trying to do what is right; but pride is evil and very sneaky. It slithers in and possesses you without you realizing it until you are consumed with it. It is impossible to be full of pride and be humble at the same time; you must choose which path you will take. After making that decision, be ready to receive blessings for choosing humility, or the consequences if you choose to go the other direction and do life on your terms.

Did you know that there are many Christians that are full of pride, serving God on their terms and expecting Him to be proud of them for their efforts? They think that since they are serving God well – on their terms, that He is happy with them, so they can control the rest of their life and do what they want without His interference. Is that you? Do you know anyone like that? I do. I speak from experience. I used to be one of those Christians…until God humbled me.

It was through His amazing grace, mercy, and love for me that He didn’t give up on me. Rather He humbled me and helped me see the light, His light! His truth, NOT mine!

When we don’t willingly choose humility and humble ourselves before God, we are doomed to go through the painful process of eventually being humbled by Him. While we do suffer the consequences of choosing to do life without God, He still loves us and forgives us. When He has to humble us, He is there with us through the process to comfort us. He is such a good good father.

If you are like I was, trying to do “God and life” on your own terms, turn to Him today and repent. Save yourself the pain of being humbled. He is ready to have you crawl up in His lap like one of His many children and wrap His huge arms around you.

Allow these scriptures to encourage and prepare you to humble yourself before God today:

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:3-10

“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” 1 Peter 5:5-6

 

So how do you deal with your pain?

First you must choose. Choose to put all your hope in Jesus, or choose to continue to try to fix your life and its many problems in your own strength. If what you have been doing isn’t working, try something different that is certain to get you the results you are looking for, success. Success can only be found in placing all your hope in Jesus and allowing Him to carry your problems for you. There is no shame in turning to Jesus now. It’s a fact that 100% of humans have been at this crossroad of choices with God at least once in their life ; if the say they haven’t, they are not being honest.

Most followers of Jesus can tell you that they used to be on that path of fighting life on their own. The one where what they have done in the past hasn’t worked. It wasn’t until they put all their hope in Jesus and let Him carry their pain and problems, that they were able to heal, learn, grow, and share with others what Jesus has done for them. It’s in learning from these painful moments that builds our character and allows God to use us to encourage others. “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall inherit the earth,” the new earth after Jesus comes; not this broken and fallen one. Scripture tells us that God will dwell among us in the new earth. I can’t even imagine, but I can hardly wait!

Receive His comfort today

“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass” Isaiah 51:12

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” John 16:7

Be still and know (Psalms 46:10) and be comforted as your rest in His loving arms.

 

Are you ready?

Not sure if your heart is right with Jesus? Take a moment to ensure it is. Your eternity depends on it, and time is running out. We are living in the end-times. Get right with Jesus today and stand on His promises to get you through these end-time battles.

Don’t complicate the process for salvation. Keep it simple.

Do the ABC’s and repent today.

• A: Admit that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-9)

• B: Believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God and that He died for your sins and rose from the dead for you. (John 3:16-18, 1Corinthians 15:1-4)

• C: Call on Jesus and repent of your sins and turn back to Him and ask Jesus to show you the way. (Romans 10:9-13, John 14:6)

 

May God bless you and keep you.

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