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“God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”
(Matt. 5:4 NLT)

I went to a funeral the other day. A very precious friend’s husband died.

As I sat there listening to the trembling voices, soaked in tears, and the preacher’s words of tribute, I cried along with the family and friends.

Separation from a loved one brings grief, but the Lord brings His comfort. The Lord said, “He has sent Me to comfort the brokenhearted.” (Is. 61:1 TLB)

When a loved on is no longer with us, the afterglow of his or her presence lingers on in our hearts and in all the hearts of his/her loved ones on earth long after that one has left our sight. The beauty of such a person never dies, for he or she leaves behind so much of themselves. Our hearts are always illuminated by the memories of their smile, their laughter, their kind words, the touch of their hand, and, if they are a Christian, their love for God.

When we lose a loved one who loved the Lord, we may also look at it this way: Of the roses that climb the garden wall, some will blossom on the other side, being hidden from our view, but the vine keeps them all joined together.

And so it is with the wall of death. It merely hides the other side; it does not divide. Our loved ones who have gone on to be with Jesus may be hidden from our view, but they have just blossomed on the other side. And, if we, who remain here, are also in Christ, then we are all united together, because the Vine keeps us together.

Mourning encompasses more than the heartache of losing a loved one. We mourn when a loved one goes astray in his/her marriage and divorce results, distressing the children. Or when s/he makes wrong decisions and ends up in jail or addicted to some substance.

We mourn for our own mistakes and regrets, for fallen heroes, for abused children, for children kidnapped and forced into sex trafficking, or for those caught in a natural or some other disaster.

There is “a time to weep,” as Ecclesiastes 3:4 NKJV tells us. But what did our opening verse say? “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” In all our mourning, the Lord blesses us with His comfort.

David knew the Lord’s comfort and we are blessed with David’s thoughts and writings in the book of Psalms. David wrote, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life” (Ps. 119:50 NIV), “May Your unfailing love be my comfort” (Ps. 119:76 NIV), and “Let Your compassion come to me that I may live” (Ps. 119:77 NIV).

In His care for us, God sent Jesus “to comfort all who mourn” (Is. 61:2b NIV), “to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Is. 61:3 NIV).

David wrote, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Ps. 147:3 NKJV)

Trust in those words.

It is God’s promise to you.

Those that mourn shall be comforted…with the Lord’s presence.

If mourning is a part of your life right now, I pray the Lord blesses you with His presence and His comfort.