Beauty for Ashes
Daily Rays of Hope #136
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. - Matthew 5:4 NIV
The morning and grieving that comes in times of great loss and change can seem like a heavy burden. The loss of family, friends, and even identity can cause one to grieve emotionally and spiritually. To consider the losses deeply and weep for all that is gone. Fed would consider this a blessing.
Compassion and well wishes are usually the default in this situation. However, here in Matthew chapter 4 in the NIV we see that Jesus sees those who mourn as blessed for the comfort that will be given to them. He describes the blessing that comes in the midst of great loss.
The comfort that comes by way of the Holy Spirit and the love of God. To see the end as a blessing is unusual. This is the mark of God thinking differently than we think, not just in his thoughts but in his ways. Where many would wish and believe that the mourning never happened and that the pain was avoided, God sees the pain as a journey to being blessed and comforted.
When you find yourself in places of mourning and pain, one way that you can walk this out is to release the thought that you wish the pain would have never happened. Release the thought that you wish you could go back and undo the path you took to step into this place of mourning.
Being rooted firmly in the present and trusting in God during the process is the way that you receive the comfort of God during a period of mourning. Being present despite the pain is the way that you receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the comfort of Jesus Christ. God's love remains through it all.
Three ways to walk out this scripture today:
Decide to give God the pain. You cannot receive the comfort here if you do not let go of the pain. If you hold on to a state of being out of deep pain, you block the capacity for you to receive comfort.
Open your hands, your arms, and your heart to receive the comfort. God will send this comfort in many ways, and being open to receive it allows you to experience the fullness of the love of God.
Last, but not least, take on the mind of Christ. Open your heart to see the blessing. It's hard to see the blessing when you're focused on the pain, the grieving, and the loss. But, taking on the mind of Christ will cause you to step into a transformed mind that sees beyond the natural.
May the peace of God be your reward in this hour. May the grace of God cover you and bless you in the reading of this message. The Lord God is with you and His ways are indeed higher than our ways. May your mind and heart be open to all God desires for you to see and become in this hour, in Jesus' mighty name, amen.