As I write these words, we are observing a national day of mourning. Tears and thoughts for thousands of lives taken in the name of hatred. The mourning for those lives continues these twenty years later.

Jesus said that those who mourn are “blessed,” which is also translated as “happy” and “fortunate.” Sounds strange, but the blessing comes when God Himself comforts those mourning.

I think there’s more here than what we generally take this verse to mean. I’m sure that Jesus was talking to those who had lost loved ones and income and physical health, all the things we normally consider, but I think there is more.

The Amplified translation is, ““Blessed—forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace—are those who mourn over their sins and repent, for they will be comforted when the burden of sin is lifted.”

That’s a vastly different way of looking at these words of the Savior!

To experience the ultimate comfort that is salvation, we must come to a place where our sinfulness bothers us as much as it does Him. We must mourn and lament over the fact that we are irreparably separated from God and choose to repent—to turn away from the sin we’re ensconced in.

As believers, we can celebrate the truth of our blessed state. We can know that we are forgiven and refreshed by God’s grace. We can revel in the knowledge that God loved us too much to leave us in our sin-sickness and lifted us from that pit to live a new life.

We who are believers can also trust that the Lord comforts in our times of grief and mourning over our losses. God Himself, as the Comforter, lives in us and knows when the grief rises and He pours Himself out in and on us to provide peace and joy that we can’t comprehend.

What a mighty and awesome God we serve. He removes the unbearable weight of our sin and comforts us in our lament.

Praise Him today and every day.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.

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