The comforting hand of God moves me as I write this devotion. This year we have experienced many deaths in our congregation, in the nation and in the world. We have seen the tragedy of the lives lost violently in our streets, in our homes, and in our schools. Yet, God assures us that He will bless those families that mourn. In Matthew 5:4, we find these words: 

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

Mourning is not just limited to physical death, but also the mourning over sins, heartache, tragedy and pain. They that mourn shall be comforted by The Comforter. In other words, God, through the Holy Spirit, blesses mourners. Blessed are those who mourn over the loss of a loved one — be it family member, or friend. Blessed are they that accept their own sorrow with resolve to make their own sorrow become a blessing. Through my work with hospice, I have learned that there is such a thing as healthy grieving. He is able to take us through our pain and give us the peace that passes all understanding. Know that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 KJV). Our mourning is not in vain. God will bless us and comfort us. He will sustain us. We do not bear our grief alone. Not only is God with us, but He has us in His hands. We do not grieve as those who do not have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), for our hope is in Christ Jesus, and He is with us in the midst of our mourning.