Blessitudes: Mourning

July 12, 2020                      NOTES NOT EDITED
Blessitudes:  Attitudes That Elevate

Mourning, Suffering, Sorrow
Mt. 5:4; Psalm 3

AIM:      To equip people to deal effectively with difficulties.

SIS:     Mourning is a “Blessitude” because of the ways God comforts us in and through our sorrows.

(Mat 5:4)  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

How can anyone possibly be "blessed" because of sorrow? Because God has promised to comfort us in our time of mourning. How Does God Turn Our Sorrow Into Gladness?  In at least five significant ways.

He gives us COURAGE to face our problems. He gives us CALM amidst our problems. He gives us COMPANIONSHIP throughout our problems. He gives us COMPASSION because of our problems.  He gives us a new COMMISSION in the place of our crisis. 

It’s like a mathematical formula that will produce the same result—blessedness—every time.  The formula works like this:

COURAGE + CALM + COMPANIONSHIP + COMPASSION + NEW COMMISSION  =  A Happier, healthier life!

First, let’s explore three possible approaches to understanding this text.  There are at least three ways to think about the mourning mentioned in this verse:

❶ This mourning is the result of PERSONAL STRUGGLES.

Blessed is the person who withstands life's most bitter agony.

You do not have to live long to realize that life can be filled with sorrow.  The people of the Middle East have a saying, "All sunshine makes a desert."   There are certain qualities that can only be developed through great struggle.  Philosophers call such suffering, "soul-making, or soul-building."  Personal tragedy shows like nothing else can:   our blessedness and happiness is totally dependent upon God's grace.

❷ It may refer to mourning over the SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS.

Blessed are those that embrace and
seek to relieve the suffering of others.

Christianity is about "caring."  Thus, this beatitude talks about compassion. Christians should care about those less fortunate in the world. Certainly, this passage refers to

❸ sorrow for one's own sin--that is, REPENTANCE

Blessed are those who mourn when they realize their sinfulness led to the horrible suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

No one will ever repent without sorrow for their sins. We do not come to the cross with a cavalier attitude about our sin, but a sense of brokenness, and personal responsibility for the pain our sin caused our Savior.

No doubt, all these ideas are intended in the verse. My emphasis is on the RESULT of God promise of comfort, rather than the REASON for the sorrow. Sorrow faced in faith results in  blessing in at least five ways, leading a person to a deeper, more fulfilling happiness. To understand this more fully I want to examine the comfort God gave David after the death of Absalom (Psalm 3).

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! {2}Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah {3}But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. {4}To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah {5}I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. {6}I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. {7}Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. {8}From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

God’s “comfort” for David during a devasting event in David’s life, is a reminder of how God will “bring blessing to us when we mourn” during devasting events in our lives. 

The ancient title for this Psalm as we read earlier says the Psalm refers to “When David fled from Absalom.”  These titles are not considered “inspired” but are instructive.  Absalom was David’s son.  On one occasion, Absalom took his sister into his house after Amnon, their half-brother, raped her.  For whatever reasons, David did not punish Amnon and Absalom was angered.  Two years later Absalom plotted to kill Amnon at a party and take over King David’s kingdom.  Absalom succeeded in having his servants kill Amnon, but David did not attend the party. Absalom had to flee, plotting in exile against his father.  David was heartbroken over Absalom’s rebellion to the point he could not effectively defend himself and fled from Absalom.  In one fateful battle with David’s loyal forces, Absalom had to flee on a mule. Absalom’s long hair got caught in the branches of an oak tree, and he was left dangling helplessly. Joab, leading David’s men in pursuit, came upon Absalom and killed him. Joab’s men threw the body in a pit and piled stones on it (2 Sm 18:1–18, Baker).  Absalom’s death crushed David’s heart.

Psalm 3 reveals the depth of that sorrow and how God “blesses those who mourn.” This blessing comes in five different ways, together resulting in infinite comfort for His children.

❶ God comfort blesses us with COURAGE to Face Our Fears.

(vv 1,2,6)  "How many (v1) . . . How many (v2)."

David’s troubles were many.  I’m sure most of you can relate to times when sorrows seem to stack up higher than clothes on the floor of a teenager’s room.  But, here’s something you must remember. If you want God to turn your sorrow into a "blessing" you must first, stop adding up your troubles, and start counting your blessings. Learning to count your blessings will result in renewed attitude of COURAGE.

An Italian Poem helps us understand this principle.

Count your garden by the flowers, // Never by the leaves that fall. // Count your days by the golden hours, // Don't remember clouds at all. // Count your nights by stars, not shadows, // Count your life in smiles, not tears. // And with joy on every birthday, // Count your age by [blessings], not years.

Suffering can be quite overwhelming. Resist the temptation to add up your troubles and you will find new strength.  David quickly changed his tune in verse 6.  I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

God's comfort gives us COURAGE to face our fears.  Sorrow, or mourning also turns to blessing because

❷ the comfort of God gives us CALM in Our Chaos.

(Psa 3:3)   But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.  then look at verse 5: I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

Sorrow is multiplied when we search for security in our situation, rather than security in our Savior. The situation had not changed in verses 3 and 5.  David was still surrounded by people and events that troubled his soul.  What changed was his "attitude!"   Do you remember the quote from Karl Menniger last week:  "Attitudes are more important than facts!"

When we put our trust completely in God, we can sleep no matter what happens around us.

A farmer was taking his little boy on a long journey.  They came upon a rickety bridge that spanned a flood-swollen river.  The river below was turbulent and frightening to the little boy.  "Father, do you think it is safe to cross the river," the boy said with fear in his voice.  "Son, I'll hold your hand," the farmer reassured his son.  The boy grasped his father’s hand tightly and they crossed safely to the other side.  The farmer and son made it safely to their destination.  On the way back home, it started getting dark.  The boy walked calmly and peacefully holding his father's hand.  As the darkness thickened the little boy realized they would have to cross the rickety bridge--this time in the dark. Fear again gripped the little boy.  "Father, what about that river, and that rickety bridge.  It is dark.  I'm afraid!"   The farmer reached down and scooped his little boy up into his arms and continued on their way.  He assured his son, "Now you just stay in my arms.  I'll take care of you."  The little boy fell fast asleep as the farmer cradled his precious cargo in his arms. The little boy awoke the next morning, safe at home in his warm bed.  He had not even awakened when they crossed the threatening river on the rickety bridge.  He slept because He was secure in the arms of his father.

We can be calm when all around the world is raging because God's comfort gives us CALM.  God’s comfort turns mourning into blessing by giving us COURAGE and CALM, and

❸ God's comfort also promises us COMPANIONSHIP
       in Our Loneliness. 

So many of David's Psalms were about the comfort of God’s COMPANIONSHIP.  Go back to verse 3.  David paints the picture in of being "wrapped in the shield of God."  That reminds me of my best “fathering” skill:  swaddling my babies.  I remember the nurse showing us how at Kaiser Hospital when Natalie was born.  I wrapped her tight enough to be used as the football in an NFL game. 

“Wrapped in God’s Shield.”  That's a pretty "tight" relationship. David talks even more beautifully about God's comforting presence amidst great sorrow in the "Shepherd's Psalm."  Psalm 23:4 reminds us:

{ 4}Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

God is with his children every step of the way! Never alone are the least of his children . . . Have faith in God! Have faith in God! I'm so glad God has given me a COMPANION in life.  Shari and I laugh, cry, and even fight---BUT WE DO IT TOGETHER!  Two are much stronger than one, as the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us (Eccl. 4:9).  In fact, the word for comfort involves the idea of “companionship.”  It comes from verb, parakaleo, which literally means to “walk alongside of, or with, someone else.”  In John 16:7 this same word is used to describe the Holy Spirit that came to “walk alongside us” after the Lord returned to Heaven.  So a major issue in overcoming sorrow and struggling is “companionship.”  

I remember one husband and wife whose marriage almost ended up on the rocks after Aunt Emma came to stay.  For seven years Aunt Emma lived with them.  She was mean, demanding, and always negative.  She was equally despicable to both the husband and wife.  It was a tough situation.  Finally, Aunt Emma died.  On the way back from the funeral the husband confessed to his wife, "Darling, if I didn't love you so much, I don't think I would have put up with your Aunt Emma in the house all those years!"  The wife looked at him in amazement and said, " My Aunt Emma!  I thought she was your Aunt Emma!"

Having a loving companion certainly helps smooth out lifes rough places.  But, there is a COMPANION far greater than our spouse--that's the Lord Jesus Christ. We can turn our sorrows in to servants because God comforts us with His COMPANIONSHIP. God's comfort blesses us with courage, calm, and companionship.

❹ It also develops in us COMPASSION for Our Neighbor.

Look back in Psalm 3, verse 4. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

Nothing gives us a sense of appreciation for the plight of others than when we ourselves face some great difficulty. I think it is really true what the Indians say, "You cannot really understand me until you walk a mile in my moccasins."

It is always unwise to say to someone in the throes of sorrow, “I know how you feel.” For those who have suffered little it is even more unwise.  Saying, "I know how you feel," often comes from a prideful, judgmental spirit. God, however, uses our suffering to strip us of a judgmental spirit.

David knew the kind of sorrow that causes one to "cry out to God with groanings that cannot even be uttered" because David faced it himself.  We could adopt the prayer of Alexander Pope:

Teach me to feel another's woe, // To hide the fault I see; // That mercy to others show, // That mercy shown to me.

A sorrow shared is a joy received. Our mourning turns to gladness when we love those in need.

❺ Finally, God's comfort turns sorrow into happiness by giving us a new COMMISSION Out of Our Crisis.  (V 8)

⁸ FROM the LORD comes deliverance.  May your blessing be on [TO] your people.

Out of our mourning arises a “new mission” in life, if we well embrace it.  Compassion can lead to a blessed New Commission in life—a mission to help others in tangible ways—not just to feel their pain, but to bear their sorrows.  I'm so glad God never leaves us where He finds us! Art Linkletter taught us "that kids say the darndest things!" Art had a special way with children.  He was so kind and gentle.  Kids opened up to him.  But, beneath that jovial exterior lay a heart that knew much pain.  Art turned his pain into a mission of helping children.  He had a COMMISSION to see that children were spared the agony of a drug-damaged life.  His COMMISSION arose out of deep sorrow.  His son was killed in a car accident, and his daughter died of an overdose. Art turned his cross into a crusade to speak out against drugs, and to speak up for children.  Art Linkletter's life made a difference because God's comfort made a difference in his life.   Art once remarked that the key to turning tragedy into triumph was to realize that the comfort of God gives you a new commission on life.  Art said, "Having once admitted and accepted the deep, deep pain of the wound, then you begin to realize that you have expanded your capacity of loving and caring for others.  Until you are hurt, you can never really understand the hurt of others."  But, compassion that does not lead to a COMMISION is not compassion, but mere pity.

David begins the Psalm crushed by his sorrows, and ends with a renewed commission to be a "blessing to others." DELIVERANCE COMES FROM THE LORD . . . OUR COMMISSION IS TO PASS IT ALONG! So many church-goers lack a real COMMISSION in life because they have never really experienced the real COMFORT that God can give. 

Sorrow can be a "blessitude" when we change our attitude about our circumstances. People that mourn really can be comforted. As one preacher said so well . . . When tragedy hits, values change . . . When your values change your life changes.  And that's why the people that mourn are really comforted.  Believe it or not, they're blessed! (Dr. Robert Schuller).

“Blessed are they that mourn for they will be comforted.”