Blessed are Those Who Mourn: Part One (Matthew 5:4)

I. Types of Mourning in Scripture

A. Mourning over unfulfilled evil desire (1 Kings 21:4)

B. Human sorrow- mourning over the circumstances of life. (2 Samuel 18:33; Genesis 23:2; Jeremiah 9:1; Acts 20:31; Isaiah 53:3)

C. Godly sorrow- mourning over sin. (Next Week)

II. The mystery of human suffering (Deuteronomy 29:29; Romans 11:33-36)

III. The ministry of Divine comfort

A. God draws near to those who hurt and brings healing. (Psalm 34:18)

B. God uses suffering to draw us to Himself. (Psalm 34:4)

C. We grow faster in hard times than we do in good times. (Romans 5:2-4)

D. Our sufferings qualify us to minister to others. (2 Corinthians 1:4; Matthew 5:4)

IV. The majesty of God’s sovereignty

Pray: Thank God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who is the Great Comforter (John 14:16-17). When sorrow occurs, lean on the Spirit, feed your soul on God’s Word, and commune with Him in prayer.

For Further Study: Read Psalm 55. How did David express his desire to escape his difficult situation? What was his final resolve?