Pastor Emeritus Writes:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4

How can someone who mourns be happy ... it sounds crazy! Most people in our society have what has been called "the Amusement Park mentality". They spend much of their time and money on entertainment. Those who entertain are in demand and the media pours it out daily and, via the TV, all night. Most people only want to be happy and try to avoid problems whenever possible, hedging, avoiding, procrastinating. Entertainment is a form of escapism.

How then can those who mourn be happy? Well, the difference is between human sorrow and godly sorrow. Godly sorrow is sorrow over sin and the more godly you are, the more sensitive you are about sin. Human sorrow is usually over something tragic or disappointments in human events. Sorrow is a natural emotion and many things can cause it; disappointment in love, loneliness, illness, lack of money. There's nothing wrong with that sorrow; it's part and parcel of life as a human being. We are born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. All the great characters of scripture knew sorrow. Abraham wept when his beloved Sarah died. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. He preached, through his tears, of God's judgement. Paul, in his parting message to the elders at Miletus, said "I ceased not to warn everyone day and night with tears". Sorrow can be caused by evil desires or lack of trust in God. Some Christians mourn excessively when they lose loved ones. (Remember, if your loved one loved Jesus, you haven't really lost them, you know where they are).

One of the great truths of the scripture is this. We have the Comforter specially sent by the Lord Jesus to be with us and one of His wonderful blessings is the one of comfort. Do not focus on grief. Look to the Spirit of God for God is the God of all comfort. So, the Christian is comforted in sorrow and, as they trust. they are happy in spite of the sorrow.

Remember too, one day, the glorious day when Jesus comes and when He reigns, peace, joy and blessings will abound. Then remember, when His glorious reign of a thousand years is ended, there will be the final sort out of men and nations and time will be lost in eternity and there will be no more memory of sin or pain or tears!

The promise of God will be fulfilled that says, "God will dwell with men ... and there shall be NO MORE DEATH, NEITHER SORROWING NOR CRYING, NEITHER SHALL THERE BE ANY MORE PAIN ... for the former things are passed away. Just think of it, God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Hallelujah! The paradox will be the real and seen to be so.

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