Mourn: January 11, 2011

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2011.

MOURN

DEFINITION:

Feel or express sorrow or grief; regret the loss of.

SCRIPTURE:

A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

All of us at some point in our lives have had the experience of mourning. For some it may have been the death of a family member or good friend. For others mourning may have come at the time of a loss of a job or a home. Our family has had times of mourning just as many other families experience. These moments of mourning for those that know the Lord are also moments of rejoicing because we know that those who we have lost are in heaven with our Lord.

These two verses above have special messages for us. First, Solomon told us that there will be times in our lives when we will mourn, just as there will be times to laugh, weep and dance. And Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount as He presented His beatitudes told us that those who mourn will be blessed and comforted.

In Genesis 50:11 we read about the Egyptians mourning at the death and burial of Jacob. The scripture tells us that when the Canaanites saw the depth of the mourning they erected a memorial and called it Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan River even today. Jacob had told his sons to take him to this location and bury him in the cave. So Joseph and his brothers did what Jacob knew that God wanted his burial at this location.

James in the New Testament also talks about mourning. He tells us in James 4:7-10 that humility cures worldliness. He tells us that we are to submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, cleanse our hands, purify our hearts and lament, mourn and weep. In order to be humble in the Lord’s sight we are to let our laughter turn to mourning and joy to gloom. If we humble ourselves in this way before the Lord, James tells us that He (God) will lift us up.

We have experienced in our family times of mourning. We have both lost our parents and a daughter-in-law, plus many other family members and dear friends. We experienced a time of mourning, but we trusted Jesus and He gave us the assurance that we should rejoice because they were now with Him in Heaven where we would join them someday in His perfect timing.

Paul wrote in his letter to the Thessalonians (4:11-13) words of comfort to Christians who were mourning for those who had died. Those of us who believe that Jesus died and rose again (verse 18) to save them from their sins should not grieve as men who have no hope (verse 13) because, according to His Word, (verse 15) those who believe in Him will be with the Lord forever. (verse17)

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 27:1.

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?

PRAYER:

Thank You that You do give me time in my life to mourn, to laugh, to cry and to dance. Help me to be a comfort to those who mourn today.