SORROW AND MOURNING

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

The opening verses of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV) cover a wide range of human experiences under the general heading of “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Included in that list is the reminder that there is: “A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to weep…A time to mourn…” A natural response when a close friend or loved one dies is that of sorrow and mourning. Some may be able to internalize those emotions whereas most of us cannot. When Jesus was giving the Sermon on the Mount, He included as the second Beatitude (Matthew 5:4), “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

There are countless numbers of Biblical references that are practical encouragements for those who come to a point when a loved one has died. It is most usual to find comfort in Psalm 23, especially with the words of verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The comfort of the Lord is always available and is unique in its design for each individual. As difficult as it is to deal with the finality of physical death and the ensuing closure as the remaining loved ones seek to proceed with their lives and duties, the words of II Corinthians 1:3-4 should be helpful in that time of transition: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 

A question one may have is, what does God know about the depths of one’s sorrows and griefs? There are these words shared about Jesus, the Suffering Servant, in Isaiah 53:4, “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” The heart of God is one of tenderness and compassion. We should remember when Jesus was summoned by Martha and Mary because their brother Lazarus was very ill, their hope was that Jesus would arrive in time to heal him. That did not happen. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus was dead and in the grave. It is a scene where two important lessons were shared. The first is John 11:25-26,  “Jesus said: I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” The basic question for all who are sorrowful, grieving and mourning is: “Do YOU believe this?” The other words in this passage are John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” In His love and compassion for those whose loved one had died, Jesus shared their sorrow and was willing to carry their grief.

Most have come to know, love and sing the words of a Hymn, It Is Well With My Soul . The words were written by Horatio G. Spafford and the music by Phillip P. Bliss. The words were written out of a context of personal sorrow. In 1870, a son died of Scarlet Fever. In 1873, his wife Anna and their four daughters were sailing to England to attend a D. L. Moody evangelistic crusade. Their ship collided with another vessel and all four daughters perished. As he sailed to be with his wife and passed over the spot where the shipwreck occurred, the words that flooded and comforted his soul, he wrote down in verse form. Some of the words that are not often known or sung are: “…No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life. Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul….But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, the sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!” Today, an extended family member, Roland Harper, will bury his wife Mary Lou! He does so with the words resonating within: “…we do not sorrow or grieve as those who are without hope…" I Thessalonians 4:13. May God comfort and surround the Harper Family with His love, compassion and comfort this day. Pray for and with them. Consider these things with me!