Comfort For Those Who Mourn

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

The second of the Beatitudes that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount addresses those who grieve and mourn. This suggests that God knows who is grieving and why, and He will comfort them.

The death of a loved one, though not the only cause, is the most common cause for people to mourn. Even for Christians, who should be celebrating the home going of a loved one, still mourn their death. Intellectually, we know that "to be absent from the body ... present with The Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8), but our emotions get the best of us and we mourn. We know that "... blessed are the dead which die in The Lord ... they ... rest from their labours" (Revelation 14:13), and we know that "Precious in the sight of The Lord is the death of His saints." (Psalms 116:15). Mourning is a natural human emotion. We cannot stop someone from mourning, but with the help of God, we can be there for them to comfort them. Be sure that you pray before you speak to someone who is mourning.