The Lost Art of Mourning

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matt. 5:4 A friend recently told me of an encounter he had with an indigenous person on a mission trip we were both on. He said he was sharing the gospel with this man and when he started discussing the fall of man and man losing his perfect relationship with God, the man began to shake and weep uncontrollably. Quite frankly this convicted me. Does sin and its effects on myself and mankind produce that kind of grief in me? At one time, I can remember seeing a map of unreached people groups in South Asia. Each group was represented by a red dot and South Asia looked like someone just colored the whole area solid red. I remember thinking, "those aren't just dots... That represents millions and millions of people who haven't even had the opportunity to hear about Jesus and the salvation he offers." I was broken by that, I balled my eyes out. Where did that brokenness over our fallen world go? I know Matt. 5:4 encompasses so much more than that. I recently read a quote by Charles Spurgeon that said, "O for grace to see our future glory amid present shame! Indeed there is a present glory in our afflictions, if we could but discern it, for it is no mean thing to have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings." There are many things that produce mourning in this broken world we live in. And for those that have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are promised that we will be comforted. But my prayer is that the things that break the heart of God will break my heart. My prayer is that I will mourn over the sin in my life, that I will mourn over the sin in my family's lives, that I will mourn over the sin in my neighbors life, and that I will mourn over the soul who I have the opportunity to share with. Reflecting on this verse today brought to mind Psalms 126:5-6: 

"Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him."

Spurgeon said of these verses: "When a man's heart is so stirred that he weeps over the sins of others, he is elect to usefulness. Winners of souls are first weepers for souls. As there is no birth without travail, so is there no spiritual harvest without painful tillage. When our own hearts are broken with grief at man's transgression we shall break other men's hearts: tears of earnestness beget tears of repentance: "deep calleth unto deep." Lord, forgive me for not being broken over sin. May the things that grieve your heart grieve mine. May the sin of each lost soul that I have the opportunity to share your good news with break my heart and may many be redeemed for your glory!

Am I a Spiritual Beggar?

Am I a spiritual beggar? "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Mt. 5:3. Reading this morning, God wouldn't let me past this verse. I have read it so many times and heard many sermons on it. I decided to dig into it a little more. As I was studying, I came across one of the definitions for the Greek word translated poor and it really challenged me. Ptochos - beggar or reduced to beggary. After being in third world countries where seeing beggars who are desperate and completely dependent upon the mercy of others to even survive the day or not starve, this got my attention. Blessed or "Happy" is the poor in spirit. This seems contradictory. However, it reminded me of the promises we see in Isaiah 55 and Revelations 22.  "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” Isaiah‬ ‭55:1-2‬  I can only imagine the joy and happiness in the heart of the beggar in South Asia were I to walk up to them and tell them I know a place they can get all the fresh water they want and all the delicious food they want and they DON'T need money! This is the exact thing Jesus offers us! But, do I realize how desperate I am in my spirit? Am I to the point to being a spiritual beggar? Does the living water and bread of life seem so precious to me that I am filled with consistent joy in the Father who provides it to this spiritual beggar? Or am I spending my money and the affections of my spirit on things that are not food and do not satisfy? Lord, show me how needy I am today for You. May I experience even more unspeakable joy than the beggar who is offered free unlimited physical food and drink. May I delight myself in you.