Blessing and mourning seem a cruel and unlikely combination. How can they be reconciled and accepted as one? The normal understanding is that the happy people are the most enviable, but the Bible contradicts that outlook. The concept that the Lord Jesus puts in our mind is far from reassuring. No one wants to mourn. Everybody wants to ride the happy bandwagon.

Can mourning and blessing really go together? Let’s say you go to a senior person to seek his blessings. Suppose he puts his hands on your head and prays, “Lord, let him mourn.” After the initial shock and dismay, you will realise that actually, according to the Bible, he is invoking a blessing on you. We hate sorrow, pain, sickness, disappointments, failures and heart aches. How do we react when we go through these. Do we feel blessed?

King Solomon was a wise man who understood all the mysteries of life. He went through ups and downs, mountains and valleys, sorrows and joys, storms and calms, parties and funerals, victories and failures in his life. From his experiences and observations of human nature, he writes, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl 7:4). The truly wise people are those who are not fazed by the trials that come their way, because they know that at the end of the tunnel there will be light, a blessing. It is the fools who hate sorrow, who don’t perceive the hidden blessings in the storms of life, and who run toward the pleasure to dull their pain. They get a false sense of hope thereby that they are happy and plunge into more and more excuses to appease their appetites. They cannot handle mourning in a spiritual way and shy away from it.

There are three main aspects in life that can lead to mourning – 1. Mourning for sin, 2. Mourning for personal problems, 3. Mourning for God’s Kingdom.

Let us consider each one in more detail so that we are enlightened.

1. Mourning for Sin.

Paul came down heavily on the Corinthian Church saying, “You are puffed up and have not mourned for sin” (1 Cor 5:2). There was sin in the church but they did not deal with it. However, we note that this situation was reversed in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11. Paul rejoiced to see that these same people now came to realise the sin in their midst and repented for it with “godly sorrow that leads to salvation and leaves no regret,” unlike the sorrow of the world that brings death. They were not harmed in any way by their mourning. On the contrary, they felt an enormous sense of relief and a lightness of the spirit, for forgiveness of sin always leads to comfort, as yourself may have experienced in your life.

When the Bible, or an individual, points out a sin in our life our immediate reaction is to defend ourself, to give excuses or blame someone else. This may give us a false sense of superiority where we imagine that we are guiltless and blameless – but we are only kidding ourselves. This attitude of self-righteousness will only lead us into deeper depths of sin, to deeper mire, and ultimately into deadly quagmire. King David was in such a situation when he wrote Psalm 51. He knew that he had sinned and was guilty to the core, but he needed someone to awaken him out of his stupor. When the prophet Nathan came to him, he initially cushioned his reprimand to the king by narrating a parable featuring a rich man who slaughtered a poor man’s pet lamb for his own feast. He hoped that David would see himself in the parable, but the king was so deep in the slush of sin that he could not make the connection, until Nathan directly hit home by saying, “You are the man!” The accusations and prophecies came fast and furious, and David could not stand against them. He could only bow his head and say,“I have sinned against the Lord”(2 Sam 12:1-15). Later on, after a period of reflection and self-examination, David wrote Psalm 51. He laid bare his soul to the Lord, making no defence for his sin. He said, “I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me” (v 3). He weeps and confesses in shame and remorse and begs the Lord to create a clean heart in him. He knew by experience that God was merciful and kind and that He would turn his mourning into dancing and remove his sackcloth and clothe him with joy (Psa 30:11).

Israel as a nation had always been like a wayward child, constantly dithering between loyalty to God and its own sinful desires; but when they turned back in repentance and faith, God was quick to forgive and embraced them whole-heartedly, saying, “Comfort, comfort, my people” (Isa 40:1,2). “Your warfare has ended and your iniquity is pardoned.” “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isa 51:11,12). “Your days of mourning will end” (Isa 60:20); and Jeremiah declares in 31:13 the words we love to hear even to this day,“ I will turn your mourning into dancing and will give you comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”

So we see, that mourning for sin will one day lead to release, and reconciliation with God. Delving deeper, we find that God gives a trumpet call to the people through Joel 2:12,13 –“Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garment.” Rending the heart means going through great emotional pain for your sins and repenting. When we are truly penitent, God is quick to forgive and then joy will follow. James admonishes us to lament and mourn for our sins (Js 4:9,10). Only then will God lift us up. Many who threw in their lot with God’s people and left Egypt were not faith-filled and perished along the way because they could not get Egypt out of their hearts and longed for what they had left behind. God was displeased with them and brought punishment upon them (1 Cor 10:5). If they had been faithful and believing, there’s every chance that they too would have set foot in the promised land, and they would have been comforted as a result.

2. Mourning for personal problems

When false news went to the King regarding the Jews, he issued an edict that all Jews in all his provinces were to be killed on a certain day. This was devastating news, but when God saw the heart-rending condition of the people and their desperate mourning, He intervened and turned the tables on their enemies, bringing great joy and rejoicing to His people (Esther).

Job’s life was full of trials and catastrophes, but God let him go through them all. Then we wonder why God does not step in to relieve us when we suffer, why He keeps silent and takes so long to answer us, whether He sees our tears and hears our prayers, or whether He really cares. Sometimes He does deliver us, prompting us to rejoice and give a thank offering, but many times we continue to suffer, raving and ranting at our misfortune. Scriptures clearly show that when we lean on God, whether we live or die, we gain happiness. It is when we turn our backs on God that we have no hope.

So, how are we to behave in our suffering? Are there guidelines in God’s Word that can help us through them without losing our faith?

First of all, begin by searching your heart. By repentance and confession, cleanse yourself and hold onto God, never wavering in your faith. Express your feelings to your heavenly Father, whatever they may be, whether negative or positive. Job in his affliction said, “I loathe my life” (Job 7:16). Leah was unloved; Naomi lost her entire family in a foreign land; Hannah and Rachael were barren till God blessed them with children; Ruth lost her husband but later gained one much better. All these women mourned and took their troubles to God in prayer. Joseph, a righteous man, was thrown into prison; David constantly ran from the presence of Saul, who wanted to destroy him; Paul was hounded relentlessly by the enemies of the gospel, almost losing his life several occasions. Each one of these brave men clung fiercely to the Lord and did not cave in to hopelessness or despair. The Lord Jesus Himself went through pain, rejection, and grief, ultimately paying the price for our sin with His own life. But not regarding the suffering, He came to comfort all who mourn, to give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning (Isa 61:3). Clearly, there is redemption and rejoicing for those who mourn, who seek the Lord in the midst of their troubles and do not lose their faith. The book of Genesis tells the sad story of human error and failure, but the last book in the Bible, the Revelation, tells of a joyful celebration for all those who mourn in a godly manner and keep their faith intact

3. Mourning for the Kingdom of God

The prophet Samuel mourned for Saul (1 Sam 15:35). The Lord also regretted making him king. Both were disappointed that their chosen leader did not fit the bill. Why should Samuel mourn? He was concerned about the Kingdom of God. Nehemiah mourned for the Kingdom of God when he heard reports of Jerusalem and its walls. He didn’t just stop with mourning. He jumped into action and started building the wall in full swing, and when the work was completed, there was great rejoicing. This was the first step in restoring the Kingdom of God, for soon after, Ezra the priest taught the law to the people who confessed their sins with weeping and mourning. Their repentance brought joy to the Kingdom of God.

Daniel mourned for 21 days, eating no meat, pleasant food or wine, pleading for mercy upon himself and the people. He said, “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay” (Dan 9:19). And God heard his prayer and gave him a whole set of revelations that became part of the Bible. Why did Daniel catch God’s attention? The answer is found in Matthew 5:4, where Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Daniel mourned not for personal benefit but for the Kingdom of God.

When the disciples of John asked Jesus why His disciples did not fast, He replied that the wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom, meaning Himself, was still with them. But a time would come when the groom shall be taken away from them, and then they would mourn. This literally happened after Jesus’ crucification and death. But we see in Luke 24:52 that they returned to Jerusalem with great joy continually praising and blessing God after seeing the risen Lord.

Some people feel that it is futile to serve God. Their thinking is –Why mourn when we don’t get anything by trying to obey all His commandments? (Mal 3:14). Largely because they see that the arrogant are blessed, the evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape (Mal 3:14, 15). But God says of those who fear Him, “They shall be mine. A book of rememberance was written so that they could again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who doesn’t (vv 17,18). In other words, their mourning was going to be transformed into a day of rejoicing. So let’s not get discouraged when we mourn for God’s Kingdom

What happened to Haman who walked with his head held high with arrogance? The day came when he had to cover his head in shame and mourning (Esth 6:12). Jesus said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep” (Lk 6:25). It is just a matter of time. Soon the tables will be turned. Be patient until then.

Joseph endured untold misery and hardships, but gained a hundred-fold joy later.

The Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem. He wept when Lazarus died. He grieved over the hardheartedness of the people. He agonised over His own impending sufferings and death. But He never once stepped back from His godly mission. He looked only at the joy that was set before Him (Heb 12:2). That was what gave him His focus and vision; that was His mourning for the kingdom which ultimately brought Him joy and won our salvation.

So also, human endeavour and steadfastness can win great rewards if we are faithful to our calling.

If you keep on weeping for your sins, you’ll be purified.

If you keep on putting up with your personal problems, deliverance will come.

If you keep on mourning for the Kingdom of God, you’ll receive your reward!

Dr. Lilian Stanley
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Vellore 632006, India
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