Blog Layout
They Shall be Comforted
Andrea Lende • August 20, 2021
Matthew 5:4
They Shall Be Comforted
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/They-Shall-Be-Comforted-e16669h
Matthew 5:4
“Blessed and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!”
These are Jesus’ words as He gave His sermon on the Mount.
The Beatitudes.
As I read the Beatitudes this morning, I cannot imagine a more comforting passage than our verse today.
The hearts of this world are mourning.
We mourn for a country.
We mourn for the people.
Those who are left behind.
Those who’ve already given their lives for other’s safety.
Those who mourn their lives.
Those who will are taken too early.
And finally, those who will suffer in torment.
Jesus said, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!”
He uses an exclamation point here, so there is no reason to doubt His statement.
I look to the Word for more about the Comforter.
In John 14:16 Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever.”
The Holy Spirit is within us because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
We are comforted in our pain.
We have a Counselor to guide us.
A Helper to assist us.
An Intercessor to intercede for our inner most needs.
An Advocate pleading for us.
A Strengthener to make us strong when we are weak.
And a Standby we can always rely on.
I take comfort in knowing the Holy Spirit is not only all of these things for me, but He is all of these things for all.
He is with those who suffer.
He is with all those we mourn for today and all those we’ll mourn for tomorrow.
As this world turns upside down, I must put my faith in the Lord that He is with all His people.
Today I choose to lean on and lean into the Lord and His promise that the Comforter is with each of us and He is with all who suffer.
May you be comforted knowing the Lord has sent His Spirit into all His people to give them what they need to withstand the atrocities that are prevalent at this time.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me Your Spirit is within me and Your Spirit is within all Your people. Thank You for Your comfort, strength, help, and intercession. Father, I cannot grasp the enormity of the pain and suffering of Your people. I am not able to understand the world with all its atrocities but I do know You’re a good God. A God of love. An Almighty God. A merciful God. You reign above all. May Your Holy Spirit be profoundly felt and experienced by all who are suffering. May we find You in the storms of this life. May we find You in the tumult. May we receive Your comfort, strength, and assistance today. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with My people and I see their pain. My Spirit is within them.
Response: Help us lean into You and receive all You have to offer, Father. Keep our eyes on You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.