This week we will be focusing on comfort. The most obvious place we think of needing comfort is in the face of loss. When we lose someone we love, there is a void in our heart and we mourn the loss. God will come alongside those who grieve and sustain them who genuinely mourn. Even when we sin He takes no pleasure in our grief; however, He will take part in it. He sends us a “paraclete” in the Holy Spirit – one who comes alongside us to console us, comfort us, and encourage us. The Holy Spirit also intercedes on our behalf in the presence of God when we are heavy with grief and unable to bear it alone: In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words… Romans 8:26
To mourn is to grieve with a grief which so consumes the whole being that it cannot be hidden — grief that manifests itself externally. It is the kind of grief that cuts to the very core of our being. It hurts from head to toe, inside and out. It is the kind that sometimes produces wracking sobs, shaking our whole life. It can stem from sorrow, grief, or a painful event.
There are different types of mourning:
· Personal loss - Sorrow
· Mourning for others - Compassion
· Mourning for sin – Brokenness
There is great value in mourning. It provides a cleansing of the heart and soul. It just feels good to have a good cry sometimes. Then again, it is miserable when you want to cry and you can’t. Some qualities of mourning are:
1. It is personal. You can give yourself permission to feel whatever you want to feel. No one can dictate this for you.
2. It reveals values and affections. When we lose something, we realize the value it has in our life.
3. It provides contrast to appreciate happiness. We look at things in a whole new light.
4. It humbles our spirit. – We are out of control. There is nothing like crying out to God for help from the deepest part of your soul.
5. It develops our character and strength.
Mourning for Sin
Mourning for sin in our lives is a different kind of mourning. Psalms 38:18 says I will declare mine iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin. This is a feeling of remorse, regret and detesting the sin in our life and the way it has affected us. We mourn when we realize that we are the problem - selfishness, prejudice, hatred, shame, hostility, and resentments have consumed us.
Sorrow can be a means of cleansing your soul and purging your life. God wants us to be sorrowful for our sins. He also wants us to experience His forgiveness and grace. Let God wash away the stain of sin with His greater grace - the place of humility, repentance and sanctification.
Mourning for sin in our lives is a different kind of mourning. Psalms 38:18 says I will declare mine iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin. This is a feeling of remorse, regret and detesting the sin in our life and the way it has affected us. We mourn when we realize that we are the problem - selfishness, prejudice, hatred, shame, hostility, and resentments have consumed us.
Sorrow can be a means of cleansing your soul and purging your life. God wants us to be sorrowful for our sins. He also wants us to experience His forgiveness and grace. Let God wash away the stain of sin with His greater grace - the place of humility, repentance and sanctification.
God will never plant the seed of his life upon the soil of a hard, unbroken spirit. He will only plant that seed where the conviction of His Spirit has brought brokenness, where the soil has been watered with the tears of repentance as well as the tears of joy. Alan Redpath (1907-1989)
Scripture to Claim:
On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Psalm 62:7
