Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: For They Shall Be Comforted ( Matthew 5:4 )

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

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Tonight I return back to the beatitudes as I feel it is an important text. Not saying it holds any priority over any other text in scripture, but here we have some understanding of being a Christian to some measure. This is not the only place as literally woven throughout scripture we find applications of Christian living and other such for our daily lives. Granted not all just stand out, but remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.( 2 Timothy 2:15 )" So often I believe people within evangelical circles take a notion this is more for pastors or those involved in the ministry,but my friends and brethren I urge you do not take this assumption. For to do so whether they see it or not is to take the Word of God with a degree of halfheartedness. Think about about the passage to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Are you truly loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength if your only wanting to read His Word and not study it. I know that may come off harsh and I'm not saying we all have to be theologians, but we should all if we are truly born again want to be growing in the knowledge of Him through His Word, through prayer, and through communion. With these thoughts in mind I pray tonight the text both encourages you and brings glory to God.

As I stated I'm going to continue in the beatitudes picking up with next verse. A few months back I did a devotional from the 94th psalm. When doing that I thought I bet that would never be a bumper sticker much less be found in a Christian bookstore on anything. To some degree maybe not as much the same could be said of this passage. For in this passage the second blessing of believers is that blessed are those who mourn. Of course if He left it there it would be quite odd and I'm sure leave His audience scratching their heads. I'm sure there were quite a few that did,but He didn't end this sentence that way no, He states in the end of the verse for they shall be comforted. The reason I started off that I'm sure you won't see this in Christian bookstores is too often blessing today is associated with physical items or material gain. Yet looking at this you don't see a physical item, but instead a guarantee of comfort during times of mourning. Think my friends and brethren when you lost someone dear. That while yes the pain was very real and seemingly inescapable there was comfort provided and a peace in which you could not describe. It truly was a peace like no other. Truly when in the midst of these disastrous and rough times it is truly amazing to see how the Lord provides in this. Truly He is the God of all comfort.

You know for me in my past before Christ so many times when I had troubles and not just with mourning over death, but in other arenas I hit other outlets. Worse off in my past only a few years before the Lord in His mercy and grace saved me I used to turn to the bottle. This is not unusual for guys in my age these days much less people my age. It seems less healthy habits are where young adults head to, to handle death. Of course these aren't the only avenues in fact mourning has caused some to end their lives. I can't tell you how tough this year has been for me. Amazing how now it has been a little over two years since the Lord saved me,but this year has been trying. Despite the ups and downs I've seen God's continued grace in my life, His renewed mercies daily and how truly being stretched, more and more has only made my dependency for Him grown. It was like I told a dear brother a good while back when I nearly lost my grandmother last year in November, I grew closer to the Lord. My dependency on Him and faith grew as well. The beauty is day by day it does continue to grow and this isn't a rare quality for some believers,but what we all should be experiencing if we are truly born again. If anything when I reflect on 2009 I will see a jump in my growth in Christ and will thank God for the trials allowed for they helped as they worked for my good and brought glory to Him.

Another thing that is food for thought so to say, a way in which the Lord comforts us is by providing people in our lives. Think about the passages in scripture where it speaks on encouraging one another or to weep with those who weep(Romans 12:15b ), or as it written in 1 Thessalonians chapter five in verse 11 to comfort one another( 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ). Scripture indicates to us clearly how truly God comforts us whether it's His direct presence such as time in prayer, communion with Him, or in His Word or if He uses another to do so. As I stated previously truly He is the God of all comfort and how thankful we as believers can be for this comfort and should turn our comfort of blessing into praise. May we truly say with David in Psalm 34, " I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. ( Psalm 34:1-3 )" Not only does David declare to always praise the Lord,but he encourages other to do so as well. May we do so as well when God brings us comfort may bless His holy name and truly exhort others in praise just as we continue in praise for what He has done.


Brothers be encouraged by this to know when we mourn we can find comfort in Him. Think about about Jesus said to the disciples " And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ( John 14:16-18 ) " Here Jesus is promising that while He must go to the Father that He will send the Holy Spirit, the spirit which indwells all believers and is the comforter. There it is my friends the promise of comfort or should we say confirmation of what Jesus said on the sermon on the Mount in the beatitudes. Jesus said blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted. Truly what a blessing to know He provides a peace which passes all understanding and that I can truly find my rest in Him. Brethren I pray tonight you have been encouraged and edified by this tonight. I now leave you with these words of encouragement from the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth,

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."


(2 Corinthians 4:8-18)




Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><

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( I apologize for not posting this monday and Lord willing hope to be able to get back writing more often. )
Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit ( Matthew 5:3 )

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

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It seems as just when I thought I'd be back to doing this more on a regular basis life didn't allow, but I will say it is a blessing to be writing again on here. Tonight passage comes from the sermon on the mount. A few months back I'd expounded another verse from this same section and I've had this particular section of the text on my heart and felt the need to get back to my devotionals. This section I believe is very well known and as I stated it has been on my heart. I'm not sure why,but I believe there may be a reason for it and I'm just being obedient and willing. I pray tonight my brethren you find both encouragement and edification in this. Not only that may in this you give glory and praise to God. For nothing I write is because I have talent on my own or because I'm great,but cause God uses us earthen vessels to share His gospel both for the lost to draw them to repentance and bring encouragement to the brethren.

As we know this section is the beatitudes which means blessed. In a previous devotional I expounded on verse 11. Hearing the words blessed and persecuted I'm sure may have been to correlate to connecting. Especially in today's society trying to put those words in the same sentence would most certainly throw them through a loop. Tonight I believe you will see something similar. Granted to the Christian we understand to be persecuted is blessed,but to unregenerate person it makes no sense and sounds ludicrous. The text tonight reads blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Wow can you imagine the look on the face of the people that day. Think about the very condition He states the inheritors of the kingdom of heaven are. They are poor in spirit. To be poor is to be needy and lacking. Yet we are told they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Do you see why the sermon on the mount right off was so radical? Here Jesus was sharing how the believer despite their condition their inheritance was great. So often we see those who are living high on the hog and we measure that as those who are rich, but the thing is we need to be reminded that an abundance of possessions does make up one's life ( Luke 12:15 ). Consider also some more scripture to explain what it means to be poor in spirit ( Psalm 40:17,Isaiah 41:17 ). The Lord knows the very condition of His people, but despite what we lack we find what we need in Him. For think about what Matthew 6:33. Of course so often I tell people this we must not skip to the end,but instead see the centralist and focus of that verse. The centrality and focus is to seek God first and foremost in your life, that He is what you build your entire life around. So that you are reminded yes I am poor in spirit, I am needy and dependent, but I know my God will take care of me for He will never leave me nor forsake me( Hebrews 13:5 ).


Remember the story of the rich young ruler. The man had it all yet when Jesus told him how he could inherit eternal life the rich young ruler walked away unhappy. Why you ask? James 2:5 gives us some insight into this, " Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? ( James 2:5 ) " Of course anyone who has read the story of the rich young ruler will see despite keeping all the other commandments he broke one. Remember as it is written, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.( James 2:10 )" Like many today he wanted eternal life,but he wanted it more like fire insurance and figured a good moral life was fine. The problem in that one eternal life needs not be treated like fire insurance and sadly there are many who go to church today who do and I pray that they would repent of it and trust in Christ alone to save them. Another problem was moral living. I believe today most people and even in evangelical circles don't realize that you can live a good moral life,but if you are not born again you won't enter the kingdom of heaven. There is only way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, Son of the living God( John 14:6 ). There is a diluted gospel going around that says pick Jesus. Well, let me say this in all love, you don't choose Him, He chooses (John 13:18,15:16) and changes whom He saves.

So you can see the contrast of believers as opposed to those whom are lost. While the lost may be living high on the hog with money and other material items they really have nothing. Consider this passage from the book of proverbs, "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death. ( Proverbs 11:4 )" As the passage clearly indicates money and material items will not spare you on the day of wrath. It does state that righteousness will deliver on that day and by that we know those of us who have trusted in Christ alone will be spared from the wrath to come. Scripture makes it very clear that those who won't believe in Christ, the wrath of God abides on them( John 3:36 ). There is only one way to be saved from this wrath which is to come and that is to place your faith in Christ alone. For there is no other name which a man can be saved by.

Brethren I pray tonight this has brought both encouragement,edification to you and most certainly glory to God. Remember while we are poor in spirit, ours is the kingdom of heaven. Think while those whom are lost may gain many material items here and a lot of us struggle.We need to remember who is our treasure/reward, that is Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. May we not forget this,but be reminded daily through prayer, communion with God, and time in His Word. Let us not focus on what we don't have,but instead focus on serving the Lord everyday to the fullest. May our prayer be Lord use me for Your glory and Your praise as it would seem good in Your eyes. Brethren know I do pray for you, it may not be individual names, but you are on my heart daily. I leave you now with these words of encouragement from our Lord and Saviour,


"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? "

( Matthew 6:25-26 )


Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><