“Blessed and enviably happy (with a happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” said Jesus (Mt 5:4 Amplified Bible).
Blessing and mourning seem to be a cruel combination. How can they go together? The normal understanding is that the happy people are the most enviable. But the Bible contradicts it. The concept that Jesus puts in our mind is far from reassuring. No one
wants to mourn. Everybody wants to join the Happy Bandwagon.
We hate sorrow, pain, sickness, disappointments, failures, heartaches. How do we react when we go through these? Do we feel blessed? For God, some things are more important than blessing us with a hassle free life.
There was the wise Solomon who went through ups and downs, mountains and valleys, sorrows and joys, storms and calms, parties and funerals, victories and failures in his life. He writes, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart
of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl 7:4). The wise are comfortable in mourning because they know that the end is blessing; whereas it is the fools who hate sorrow and run towards pleasure that will dull their pain and give them false hope that they are happy.
There are three main aspects in life that can lead to mourning —
1. Mourning for sin
2. Mourning for problems
3. Mourning for God’s kingdom
1. Mourning for Sin
Paul came down heavily upon the Corinthian church saying, “You are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn (bow in sorrow and in shame) until the person who has done this (shameful) thing is removed from your fellowship and your midst! (1 Cor
5:2 Amplified Bible).
Initially the Corinthian church was apathetic towards the sin. But after Paul’s admonition the church took action and the sinner repented.
Later on Paul wrote to them saying, “Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor 7:9-11).
The mourning for sin always leads to comfort as you might have experienced in your life. When someone or the Bible points a sin in us, our knee-jerk reaction is to justify ourselves, give excuses or blame someone else. That will give us a false sense of
superiority. But where does that take us? To deeper depths of sin, to deeper mire and ultimately into deadly quagmire.
David wrote a psalm of laments when the prophet Nathan pointed out his sin. He knew he had sinned but he needed someone to wake him out of his stupor. He cried and confessed. But by experience he had learnt that God would turn his mourning into dancing
and remove his sackcloth and clothe him with joy (Ps 30:11).
Israel sinned, but when she turned back to God, He embraced her and said, “Comfort, comfort My people ... that her sin has been paid for” (Is 40:1,2). “The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown
their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you” (Is 51:11,12). “Your days of sorrow will end” (Is 60:20). “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and
joy instead of sorrow” (Jer 31:13).
If some past sin or present secret and willful iniquity is torturing your conscience and stealing away your free laughter, make it a godly sorrow. Turn to God, bow your knees before Him and cry for forgiveness and deliverance. He is the only One who has
the power to free you from the shackles of sin and crown you with joy unspeakable.
2. Mourning for Problems
Somebody said, pain is the megaphone of God. It was a terrible blow for the Jews when news reached them that the date was set for their annihilation (Esth 4:3). But when they trusted in God, their fasting and mourning ended in feasting and rejoicing.
Job’s life was a journey through the valley of the shadow of death which climaxed in blessing. It was worthwhile waiting.
Leah was an unwanted wife who had to buy appointments with her husband (Gen 30:15). Wave after wave of sadness hit her. When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, He opened her womb (29:31).
Joseph strayed from his comfort zone and travelled through a serpentine route of betrayal, hatred, jealousy, slavery and even prison. But he rose to be the father of the king of Egypt. “Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better
things,” says Henry Ward Beecher.
Mary Verghese became a paraplegic after a road accident but became a wheelchair doctor (the first in India). “Mary stands as an outstanding example of a person who got nowhere asking why a tragedy happened. But as she turned toward God and asked: To what end? she learned to trust Him to weave a new design for her life. In doing so, Mary has probably achieved far more than that she would have, had the accident not occurred,” says her biographer.
Let us make the prayer of Blaise Pascal ours too: “I ask you neither for health or for sickness, for life nor for death; but that you may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for your glory.”
Naomi’s life was one tragedy after another. She walked with stooped shoulders through her life. God seemed absent. But she lived courageously, kindly and even nobly in the face of all this change. A day came when she sat up smiling, dandling a grandchild
in her arms, putting her transient sorrows behind her back.
When Kim’s husband Woody committed suicide due to the ingestion of an antidepressant, Kim was angry with God. After much soul- searching and prayer Kim decided she wanted to dedicate herself to making drug safety laws tougher, to give meaning to Woody’s death. She created a website — Woodymatters.com and started a crusade. She saved other peoples’ lives. “I used to get mad at God,” she says. “How could You do this to him?” she demanded. “But the ways of
God are His own,” she says. It was a tragedy turned to triumph. Misfortunes have a way of bringing out the best in people.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh,” said Jesus (Lk 6:21).
Jesus also said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep” (Lk 6:25).
Ahab and Jezebel thought they were the happiest people on earth. But to their consternation they met with horrible ends. Solomon and many other kings of Israel enjoyed life and ended miserably.
What happened to Haman who walked head high? He covered his head and went mourning (Esth 6:12).
It is a matter of time. Soon the wind will change. Be patient till then.
Sometimes we wonder why God doesn’t interfere. Sometimes He delivers and we give a thank offering and rejoice. But many times He keeps quiet and we rave and rant as we suffer. When we lean on God whether we live or die we end up happy. Like Paul if we
declare, “To me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” all our sorrows in life or death will turn to joy. But if we turn our backs on God we have no hope.
“It don’t take much to be happy,” says Towler, in hisAfrican English, who was incarcerated for no fault of his and released from the prison as “innocent,” after 29 years. Let’s learn from this man who has a thousand reasons to weep, yet is laughing. A
day without a laugh is a wasted day indeed!
Genesis starts with a sorrowful note which ends in Revelation as a joyful celebration. That’s our story. So hang on whether deliverance comes or not. Make sure that you —
Don’t condemn yourself. Just search your heart and cleanse yourself.
Cling to God.
Feel free to express your feelings to God like Job, whatever they may be. Our Father understands.
God does not necessarily insulate us from life’s harsh experiences. Naaman’s leprosy led to a dramatic encounter with the power of God. We cannot know all the reasons for suffering, but we can be sure that the outcome will ultimately reflect God’s glory
and purpose.
In the end we will look at the big picture and laugh at life.
3. Mourning for God’s Kingdom
Samuel mourned for Saul (1 Sam 15:35). The Lord also felt sorry for making Saul king. Samuel anointed another person as king as per God’s direction and Israel rejoiced.
Nehemiah mourned for Jerusalem’s destruction. He didn’t stop with mourning. He jumped to action in full swing. When the wall was completed there was great rejoicing.
Daniel mourned for 21 days eating no pleasant food or meat or wine. What was the result? A whole set of revelations was given him that became part of the Bible.
The disciples of John asked Jesus why His disciples did not fast. He replied that the wedding guests could not mourn when the bridegroom was still with them. But a time would come when the groom would be taken away from them. Then they would mourn (Mt 9:15). It truly happened (Mk 16:10). But the end was great joy (Lk 24:52).
Some people feel (as also we at times) that it is futile to serve God. We don’t get anything by trying to obey all His commandments.
We give up everything, we don’t fight back, we keep quiet when we should speak up. But what do we see? The arrogant are blessed, the evil doers prosper and even those who challenge God escape (Mal
3:14). So these people stop serving God.
But God says to those who fear God, “You are mine, I will show you the difference between those who serve Me and those who do not. On that day the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings! And you will go out and leap like calves released
from the stall” (Mal 3:14-4:2).
Jesus was known as a man of sorrows. He was hated by His brothers and others. He wept over Jerusalem and at Lazarus’ grave. But He looked forward to the joy that was set before Him (Heb 12:2) Isaiah prophesied, “After the sufferings of His soul, He will
see the light of life and be satisfied ” (53:11).
The weeping Jews were deported to foreign countries. What were they doing there? Sowing precious seeds! They were paupers but for the word of God. With shame and sorrow they were speaking about their great God to the foreigners for whom it sounded
absolute nonsense. But when Ezra and Nehemiah took the lead to bring them back to Jerusalem it was like a dream come true. Their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues with songs of joy. But what was their greatest joy? “Then it was said
among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ ” Their sowing was not in vain. The heathen tongues confessed that He was Lord! They sowed in tears and reaped with songs of joy. They went weeping and came back laughing with the proselytes
with them! (Ps 126).
If you keep on mourning for your sins, you will be purified.
If you keep on putting up with your problems,
you will enjoy a greater dimension in life!
If you keep on mourning for the kingdom of God,
you will receive your rewards!
Happy are the Sad!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
“Blessed and enviably happy (with a happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” said Jesus (Mt 5:4 Amplified Bible).
Blessing and mourning seem to be a cruel combination. How can they go together? The normal understanding is that the happy people are the most enviable. But the Bible contradicts it. The concept that Jesus puts in our mind is far from reassuring. No one
wants to mourn. Everybody wants to join the Happy Bandwagon.
We hate sorrow, pain, sickness, disappointments, failures, heartaches. How do we react when we go through these? Do we feel blessed? For God, some things are more important than blessing us with a hassle free life.
There was the wise Solomon who went through ups and downs, mountains and valleys, sorrows and joys, storms and calms, parties and funerals, victories and failures in his life. He writes, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart
of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl 7:4). The wise are comfortable in mourning because they know that the end is blessing; whereas it is the fools who hate sorrow and run towards pleasure that will dull their pain and give them false hope that they are happy.
There are three main aspects in life that can lead to mourning —
1. Mourning for sin
2. Mourning for problems
3. Mourning for God’s kingdom
1. Mourning for Sin
Paul came down heavily upon the Corinthian church saying, “You are proud and arrogant! And you ought rather to mourn (bow in sorrow and in shame) until the person who has done this (shameful) thing is removed from your fellowship and your midst! (1 Cor
5:2 Amplified Bible).
Initially the Corinthian church was apathetic towards the sin. But after Paul’s admonition the church took action and the sinner repented.
Later on Paul wrote to them saying, “Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor 7:9-11).
The mourning for sin always leads to comfort as you might have experienced in your life. When someone or the Bible points a sin in us, our knee-jerk reaction is to justify ourselves, give excuses or blame someone else. That will give us a false sense of
superiority. But where does that take us? To deeper depths of sin, to deeper mire and ultimately into deadly quagmire.
David wrote a psalm of laments when the prophet Nathan pointed out his sin. He knew he had sinned but he needed someone to wake him out of his stupor. He cried and confessed. But by experience he had learnt that God would turn his mourning into dancing
and remove his sackcloth and clothe him with joy (Ps 30:11).
Israel sinned, but when she turned back to God, He embraced her and said, “Comfort, comfort My people ... that her sin has been paid for” (Is 40:1,2). “The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown
their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you” (Is 51:11,12). “Your days of sorrow will end” (Is 60:20). “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and
joy instead of sorrow” (Jer 31:13).
If some past sin or present secret and willful iniquity is torturing your conscience and stealing away your free laughter, make it a godly sorrow. Turn to God, bow your knees before Him and cry for forgiveness and deliverance. He is the only One who has
the power to free you from the shackles of sin and crown you with joy unspeakable.
2. Mourning for Problems
Somebody said, pain is the megaphone of God. It was a terrible blow for the Jews when news reached them that the date was set for their annihilation (Esth 4:3). But when they trusted in God, their fasting and mourning ended in feasting and rejoicing.
Job’s life was a journey through the valley of the shadow of death which climaxed in blessing. It was worthwhile waiting.
Leah was an unwanted wife who had to buy appointments with her husband (Gen 30:15). Wave after wave of sadness hit her. When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, He opened her womb (29:31).
Joseph strayed from his comfort zone and travelled through a serpentine route of betrayal, hatred, jealousy, slavery and even prison. But he rose to be the father of the king of Egypt. “Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better
things,” says Henry Ward Beecher.
Mary Verghese became a paraplegic after a road accident but became a wheelchair doctor (the first in India). “Mary stands as an outstanding example of a person who got nowhere asking why a tragedy happened. But as she turned toward God and asked: To what end? she learned to trust Him to weave a new design for her life. In doing so, Mary has probably achieved far more than that she would have, had the accident not occurred,” says her biographer.
Let us make the prayer of Blaise Pascal ours too: “I ask you neither for health or for sickness, for life nor for death; but that you may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for your glory.”
Naomi’s life was one tragedy after another. She walked with stooped shoulders through her life. God seemed absent. But she lived courageously, kindly and even nobly in the face of all this change. A day came when she sat up smiling, dandling a grandchild
in her arms, putting her transient sorrows behind her back.
When Kim’s husband Woody committed suicide due to the ingestion of an antidepressant, Kim was angry with God. After much soul- searching and prayer Kim decided she wanted to dedicate herself to making drug safety laws tougher, to give meaning to Woody’s death. She created a website — Woodymatters.com and started a crusade. She saved other peoples’ lives. “I used to get mad at God,” she says. “How could You do this to him?” she demanded. “But the ways of
God are His own,” she says. It was a tragedy turned to triumph. Misfortunes have a way of bringing out the best in people.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh,” said Jesus (Lk 6:21).
Jesus also said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep” (Lk 6:25).
Ahab and Jezebel thought they were the happiest people on earth. But to their consternation they met with horrible ends. Solomon and many other kings of Israel enjoyed life and ended miserably.
What happened to Haman who walked head high? He covered his head and went mourning (Esth 6:12).
It is a matter of time. Soon the wind will change. Be patient till then.
Sometimes we wonder why God doesn’t interfere. Sometimes He delivers and we give a thank offering and rejoice. But many times He keeps quiet and we rave and rant as we suffer. When we lean on God whether we live or die we end up happy. Like Paul if we
declare, “To me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” all our sorrows in life or death will turn to joy. But if we turn our backs on God we have no hope.
“It don’t take much to be happy,” says Towler, in hisAfrican English, who was incarcerated for no fault of his and released from the prison as “innocent,” after 29 years. Let’s learn from this man who has a thousand reasons to weep, yet is laughing. A
day without a laugh is a wasted day indeed!
Genesis starts with a sorrowful note which ends in Revelation as a joyful celebration. That’s our story. So hang on whether deliverance comes or not. Make sure that you —
Don’t condemn yourself. Just search your heart and cleanse yourself.
Cling to God.
Feel free to express your feelings to God like Job, whatever they may be. Our Father understands.
God does not necessarily insulate us from life’s harsh experiences. Naaman’s leprosy led to a dramatic encounter with the power of God. We cannot know all the reasons for suffering, but we can be sure that the outcome will ultimately reflect God’s glory
and purpose.
In the end we will look at the big picture and laugh at life.
3. Mourning for God’s Kingdom
Samuel mourned for Saul (1 Sam 15:35). The Lord also felt sorry for making Saul king. Samuel anointed another person as king as per God’s direction and Israel rejoiced.
Nehemiah mourned for Jerusalem’s destruction. He didn’t stop with mourning. He jumped to action in full swing. When the wall was completed there was great rejoicing.
Daniel mourned for 21 days eating no pleasant food or meat or wine. What was the result? A whole set of revelations was given him that became part of the Bible.
The disciples of John asked Jesus why His disciples did not fast. He replied that the wedding guests could not mourn when the bridegroom was still with them. But a time would come when the groom would be taken away from them. Then they would mourn (Mt 9:15). It truly happened (Mk 16:10). But the end was great joy (Lk 24:52).
Some people feel (as also we at times) that it is futile to serve God. We don’t get anything by trying to obey all His commandments.
We give up everything, we don’t fight back, we keep quiet when we should speak up. But what do we see? The arrogant are blessed, the evil doers prosper and even those who challenge God escape (Mal
3:14). So these people stop serving God.
But God says to those who fear God, “You are mine, I will show you the difference between those who serve Me and those who do not. On that day the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings! And you will go out and leap like calves released
from the stall” (Mal 3:14-4:2).
Jesus was known as a man of sorrows. He was hated by His brothers and others. He wept over Jerusalem and at Lazarus’ grave. But He looked forward to the joy that was set before Him (Heb 12:2) Isaiah prophesied, “After the sufferings of His soul, He will
see the light of life and be satisfied ” (53:11).
The weeping Jews were deported to foreign countries. What were they doing there? Sowing precious seeds! They were paupers but for the word of God. With shame and sorrow they were speaking about their great God to the foreigners for whom it sounded
absolute nonsense. But when Ezra and Nehemiah took the lead to bring them back to Jerusalem it was like a dream come true. Their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues with songs of joy. But what was their greatest joy? “Then it was said
among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ ” Their sowing was not in vain. The heathen tongues confessed that He was Lord! They sowed in tears and reaped with songs of joy. They went weeping and came back laughing with the proselytes
with them! (Ps 126).
If you keep on mourning for your sins, you will be purified.
If you keep on putting up with your problems,
you will enjoy a greater dimension in life!
If you keep on mourning for the kingdom of God,
you will receive your rewards!
Happy are the Sad!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
