Blessed Are Those Who Mourn#
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn#
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we share: Blessed are those who mourn.
Matthew 5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for leading us to worship and praise You together in Your presence! We believe this time is blessed by You, leading every brother and sister, You know what we truly need in our hearts, provide for us in due time, so that everyone can receive Your abundant supply. You know what we lack the most in our hearts, and You can provide it for us. Thank You, Heavenly Father!
We completely entrust this time to the Holy Spirit, touching each person's heart, renewing our thoughts and intentions, so that we can live with Your strength. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!
We are sharing the second lecture of the Beatitudes, Blessed are those who mourn.
What does mourning mean? Sadness, sorrow?
We rarely use this word in our lives. It means extreme grief, a deep sadness, a sorrow greater than losing a loved one.
Blessed are those who mourn; why are such people blessed?
Is it that crying before God every day makes one blessed? Is it that God can only comfort us this way? Because they shall be comforted. There is a heresy that believes the more one cries, the louder one cries, the more God listens.
Some even quote worldly views, saying, "The child who cries gets more love from their parents, so God is the same; if you rebel, it doesn't matter, just cry." Some people cry as soon as they pray, and cry very miserably, trying to move God.
Such views are misguided. Blessed are those who mourn, as expressed here, is not about outward behavior. The first lecture was about the poor in spirit being blessed, which refers to the inner self, not having nothing. And blessed are those who mourn also refers to the inner self; it does not mean that shedding many tears is mourning. True mourning is an inner activity. What is being expressed now is not human behavior but our views of God and the world. Mourning is when you recognize the blessings of God, and then see many people who do not understand God's redemption and grace, feeling anxious and mourning for them.
In the Old Testament, there was a prophet named Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet. God told Jeremiah, "Soon, the temple will be destroyed, and you will be taken captive to Babylon for seventy years. Hurry back now." After hearing this news, Jeremiah was very anxious, and he went before the king and said, "King! You are worshiping idols and going the wrong way; you should turn back..."
What he said was correct, but when the king heard this, he threw Jeremiah into a pit and beat him, because other prophets were saying, "Peace! We are in peace." Just because Jeremiah sang a different tune, everyone disliked him and said he was false, so they imprisoned him. Every time Jeremiah prophesied, he was beaten. In such circumstances, would he still want to prophesy? In the end, Jeremiah said, "I will be silent." But his heart burned like fire, and he continued to speak, only to be beaten again. He saw in a vision the temple of God being destroyed, all the people being taken captive, many being killed.
When you see this scene, would your heart be happy? You would mourn. Why did he mourn upon seeing this? This was something in his heart. He could have escaped and completely avoided these things, but he wanted to care for those who still did not understand the gospel. When we understand blessings and recognize the kingdom of heaven, we should not just seek our own salvation but also share the gospel with everyone around us.
When sharing the gospel, there will definitely be many who do not understand and may even mock. In your heart, do not hate them; instead, mourn for them and pray for them. This is an inner reaction, and God calls this a mourning person. Blessed are those who mourn, for they truly understand God's heart and have compassion in their hearts. Brothers and sisters, when you share the gospel and others do not understand and instead attack you, God has not forsaken you. The latter part of the scripture says, for they shall be comforted. He is with you; He is your comforter.
Sharing the first point: This is a mournful time.
What kind of era are we in? Looking at a passage of scripture may help you understand, Matthew 11:16-19,
16 But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not weep.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Is it difficult to share the gospel with others? How difficult is it for God to save us? Creating the world was too easy for Him; for God, this is not a matter. He said, and it was so; He commanded, and it stood fast. But changing a person's heart is too difficult because He does not force you to turn your heart. He reveals His love and grace to you over and over until you respond to Him. When Jesus came, what kind of era had it become?
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces calling to their companions; when they play together, why do they play the flute? To give those people joy. But when he plays the flute, those people have no response. When we share the gospel with others, is it not like playing the flute? Is it not good news? Do all people respond? No, you clearly give them good news, yet there is no response, so you play the flute, and they do not dance. When we share the gospel with them, they should be happy to accept it, but they do not dance; not only do they not dance, but they also beat the one playing the flute. This is the scene of the current era.
We mourn to you, and you do not weep. What does mourning mean? It means seeing their end and feeling sorrow for them. After you tell them this, they do not weep nor repent. In the Bible, when the Israelites wept, it was generally a sign of knowing they had done wrong and repenting, like throwing dust on their heads and tearing their clothes. When they truly know they are wrong or are angry, God hopes you will have some reaction, but they have no reaction. Those sent by God speak to them, but they cannot take it in, whether good or bad; they cannot take it in. Such people are called those who cannot be influenced.
The first is John, who had very peculiar behavior. He wore clothes made of camel's hair, lived in the wilderness, and ate locusts and wild honey. They knew John was a prophet, but because he neither ate nor drank, they thought he was possessed by a demon; they judged him by his appearance. John preached a gospel of repentance, but they did not repent.
The second is Jesus, the Son of Man, who came eating and drinking... You do not accept the one who does not partake in worldly pleasures; fine! Here comes one who does partake in worldly pleasures, and you still do not accept Him. Jesus came eating and drinking, and they said, "This prophet eats and drinks; he is a glutton and a winebibber." Is it difficult to be a servant of God? No matter how you do it, there will always be someone dissatisfied with you. At this time, God's heart is mournful: What must I do for you to have some reaction? After Jesus came, He made friends with tax collectors and sinners, and they were unwilling.
What will it take for you to be willing to listen to Jesus? So Jesus said that the people of that era had no response to God's commands and calls; they would not rejoice at God's joy, nor would they weep at the judgment God told them would come. Jesus wanted to describe the people of that era; they were spiritually a group of dead people. They could not truly experience God's intense love and concern for people, so they could not establish a correct relationship with the God who loves them.
Some think that those who believe in Jesus are not partaking in worldly pleasures, saying, "Do you still work after believing in Jesus?" Are we supposed to run off to the deep mountains and forests? It is not like that. But when others see us believing in Jesus and still eating and drinking, they say, "You believe in Jesus, yet you still eat this?" We should be like Jesus; do not be influenced by others' comments. Thank and praise the Lord!
No matter how we appear outwardly, you must know one thing: God does not look at your outward appearance; He cares more about your inner self. If you appear very obedient outwardly but do not submit to God in your heart, God is not pleased with that. Therefore, what is more important is the change in our hearts.
How did the people living in that era live, and what was their end? We need to look at the past to see the present. The Bible clearly states that there is nothing new under the sun; one generation goes, and another comes, but the past events happen again. Therefore, the Bible mentions many past events as a reference for us, and it will be the same in the future.
Luke 17:26-30,
26 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
We are now in the last era; we have seen the days of Noah and the days of Lot. This era must be viewed with spiritual eyes. Jesus Christ used His second coming as an example, comparing it to Noah building the ark and Lot being taken out of Sodom, which they could understand.
He said, what would humanity's condition be like before His return? In the days of Noah, people ate, drank, married, and were given in marriage; in the days of Lot, they ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, and built. Are we not like this now? When an era reaches its end, people live like this, whether eating, drinking, marrying, or building; they live entirely for themselves and do not listen to others.
If everyone lives for themselves, it must be a chaotic era. People do not know or care that God's righteous judgment is about to come. They only care about eating, drinking, marrying, and their own interests and pleasures; they are a self-centered group. Did no one pay attention when Noah built the ark?
Others did not understand why his family was different from ours. Today, do we Christians not seem to be looked down upon? It seems we are a group of people who do not work properly, who do not know how to rest on Sundays. What is the point of gathering? Watching TV at home is much better! While they eat, drink, and marry, we are here listening to the word. In their eyes, we are abnormal, but they live for themselves and do not know that God's judgment is about to come.
On the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all... On the day Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Those who are indifferent to God's matters ultimately perish; the same was true in Lot's time. Lot was reluctant to leave Sodom, and when God brought him out, judgment immediately fell, and fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
Have you ever thought that Noah's heart and Lot's heart were actually the same? The Bible records Lot's heart; he lived in Sodom and saw the wicked people, and he had a sorrowful heart, which is the mourning heart we speak of. This was the Holy Spirit allowing him to see that the condition of these people was terrible. So, brothers and sisters, do not hate the world, nor hate those under the law; they are just living pitifully. You should have compassion for them and pray for them, rather than condemn and strike them.
When fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all, think about what that scene was like. Or think again: when the flood destroyed the people of Noah's time, what was God's heart like? God's heart was mournful. Think again: when Jesus spoke these words, His heart was also mournful.
When He spoke these words, He hoped that the people of that era could turn back and not learn from the rebellious people of the past. The purpose of sharing with you today is that we should have such a heart to view the world. Jesus finally said, the day of the Son of Man will be like this. We do not know when that day will come, but we must be aware and see how far the world has gone to know how the Bible is being fulfilled.
These scriptures show us a vivid picture: people spend their lives striving for their own interests, living what seems to be a very normal life in the eyes of ordinary people, eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, establishing a good self-image, and realizing self-worth, but they have no response to God's matters.
So Matthew 11:17 says, we played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not weep. How much our Lord hopes that when people hear good news, they will rejoice, sing, and dance, and He also hopes that all of God's children will see the times and that many souls are in bondage; we need to pray for them. Amen!
Sharing the second point: Those who mourn, God will surely comfort them.
Matthew 11:28, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus knows we have troubles and burdens in this world, so He says, "Come to Me." What do we go to Jesus for? Always remember: coming to church is to receive God's rest, not to have a good time in the world and then come to church for God to tidy up. It is to enjoy rest before Jesus.
What is scary is that people who are clearly living poorly still think they are doing well; this is not recognizing God's blessings. Blessed are those who mourn; those who think they are doing well are actually not in God's blessings. All blessings come from God; those who do not recognize the grace of Jesus Christ do not know what true blessings are.
Just like Noah told the people of that era, entering the ark is the greatest blessing. Do you believe it? Just like Lot said to his two sons-in-law, "Come with me; God is going to destroy this city." The two sons-in-law took this as a joke and did not pay attention; they did not know what the best blessing was.
After we accepted Jesus Christ, we know that the best blessings are in Jesus Christ. Look at the people around us; they indeed have everything, but without Jesus Christ, they actually have nothing. They are still in bondage, and we need to pray for them. The Bible has many examples of people mourning for others.
Today, those who do not believe in Jesus are actually living in sin. Some say they seem not to have sinned; you do not know their inner pain and what being bound looks like. You just do not know. They need to be freed from bondage. The Lord Jesus Himself is a person who mourns and is sorrowful. When Jesus came to Jerusalem, He saw what was going to happen. Let us look at this together.
Matthew 23:37-39,
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
What do you think of when you read this passage? When Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, His heart was mournful; He saw what was going to happen. Here, I want to share a personal testimony, which is also an opening God gave me, and then I could understand the Bible. Before, I could not understand the Bible and asked others, but not everyone could solve the problems in the Bible; some problems could not be solved at all. One time, everyone fasted and prayed together. It is not that fasting gives you this ability; it is to tell you that as long as you are willing to communicate with God, He will personally reveal some things to you.
At that time, I kept praying to God, "Lord! Let me understand what Your words mean. I need to understand it before I share with others." At that time, I could not understand the Bible; although I had listened to the four gospels many times, I still could not understand. During the fast, I was very hungry; it was also the first time I fasted for such a long time, three days. After a day and a half, I was the hungriest and fell asleep in a daze. Half-awake, I was very clear because I could hear my roommates moving around, but I also saw the scenes from the Bible reappearing, which was a vision.
At that time, the content of the Gospel of Luke was being played, and I followed the voice of Jesus, walking through the city of Jerusalem. At that moment, I became a disciple following Jesus. I had never had this feeling when reading the Bible before. This time, following the voice, my eyes could see clearly. How clear was it?
I could see the sand of the land of Israel, and the sun was very hot; I could feel it to that extent. What moved me the most was that I saw Jesus' heart. When He healed others, the Bible says Jesus had compassion on them, and then that person was healed. I saw Jesus' heart, thump! thump! thump! He truly had compassion, not, "I am God! You ask me, and I will heal you." He was truly doing things out of love.
The passage I shared today is Jesus prophesying against Jerusalem, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You often kill the prophets." He now treats Jerusalem as a person and speaks to him, saying, "You often kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you."
When Jesus said this, I found that a vision appeared in Him, showing how they treated the prophets in the past, how many prophets were stoned to death. It might have been a dream within a dream; I cannot explain it clearly. I understood that when Jesus said this, He remembered what the people had done before and then said, "How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings." He wanted to protect them.
God's intention has never changed; He always wanted to protect us. It is just that those people were unwilling. The Israelites, whenever they were at peace, began to act up, wanting to escape from under the hen's wings, insisting on doing something themselves. Many times, they were like this, and it is the same now. The Son of God has come, and they want to kill Jesus. This event will happen soon. Did Jesus know about this? Jesus saw and said, "I am very willing to place you under My wings, but you are unwilling."
Then the following words appeared: "See! When Jesus said 'See,' I saw in the vision as if time had crossed to the year 70 AD, when the Roman army slaughtered the city of Jerusalem. In this event that had not yet happened, Jesus had already seen it, so He said, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! This event should not have happened, but it is because you are unwilling.'"
At that time, Jesus' heart was mournful; He did not want to see this happen. Moreover, that time not only crossed to 70 AD but also to World War II, when Jesus personally saw how His people were slaughtered and had no power to resist. For God, His heart does not want to see a soul fall and die. God hopes we come to Him. Brothers and sisters, we must understand Jesus' mournful heart.
"See! Your house is left to you desolate." Where have the people gone? Some were killed, and some became slaves scattered around the world. Did these things happen? During World War II, all the Jews were driven to various parts of the world, and it was only when they returned to their homeland that they could return. Was this God's intention? No, Jesus had seen this long ago.
But at this moment, when Jesus spoke these words, the disciples or the people could still repent, but Jesus knew they would not repent, and His heart was mournful. When we go to share the gospel with others, especially with your relatives, when you speak to them, they not only do not listen but also attack you. What is your heart like?
You mourn, not because of their attacking words, but because their hearts are unwilling to turn back. You can even see what their end will be; that is true mourning. So when this mourning is in your heart, you will take action: to pray for them. Besides praying, you cannot do anything else.
In verse 39, I tell you, you shall see Me no more until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."
This sentence has not yet been fulfilled; it was originally spoken to the Jews. The one who comes in the name of the Lord refers to Jesus. Until you say that Jesus is worthy of praise. This brings time back to the last seven years. I have spoken about the prophecy of seventy weeks before; now we are in the interval between sixty-nine weeks and the last week.
When the last week arrives, it will be a time of great persecution for the Jews, which could have been completely avoided. However, the Jews are so stubborn that they refuse to repent. Until the great persecution comes, when they have no power to resist, they will begin to look to God and say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." When they cry out to Jesus, He will descend from heaven to save them.
Why wait until that time? Is this not a prophecy? For us, this is the best time to repent; do not wait until that time, suffering greatly, to say, "Lord! I really have no way out; please help me!" By then, it will be a bit late. What could be more mournful for our Lord Jesus than for God's people to reject the Savior He sent?
So the Lord Jesus said, "How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings." God's intention is, "If you are under My wings, you can escape the coming wrath." You are now under Jesus' wings; do not run out. Those who run out are the "little chicks" who think they are very capable. It is much better to be under His wings when the wind blows and the rain falls. Let us not be unwilling.
It is not that God has forsaken people; it is that people are unwilling to be saved by Jesus and unwilling to obey the words of Jesus Christ. God has clearly written His promises in the Bible; He loves the world so much that He even let His only Son Jesus die for us on the cross, so that everyone who believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life. But people are unwilling to go to Jesus; they want to save themselves and enjoy the fruits of their labor, so they are unwilling to humbly receive God's salvation. This is what makes God mournful. Everything is prepared, yet people do not want it.
Psalm 137 is a song of exile. We know the history of the Jews and also know that the history mentioned in the Old Testament about the Jews is the same; it is a history full of disasters. Were these disasters given to them by God? No, they brought it upon themselves. They had God but did not rely on Him; they wanted to live by themselves. In the end, Jeremiah saw God's prophecy fulfilled with his own eyes, as all the people were taken captive to Babylon for seventy years. Did they have a good time during these seventy years? No, after being taken captive, they finally realized that what the prophet said was true. Let us see if their hearts were already mourning.
Psalm 137:1-6,
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. 2 We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion." 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? 5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Do you feel sad when you read this? The background at that time was that they were taken captive to Babylon, and those foreigners said, "You Jews are a nation that can sing and dance; come! Sing us a song." In the past, these songs were sung for the Lord, but now they sing for those in Babylon, and they do not want to. But they do not want to, yet others beat them, so in the end, they hung their harps on the willows and did not want to sing anymore.
"O Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget her cunning." What does this mean? The fingers that play the piano, I will forget them; if others ask me, I will say I cannot play the piano. "Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth!" What does this mean? To become mute; I would rather become someone who cannot do anything than sing to those who have taken us captive.
Why wait until this time to mourn and cry out to God? The Israelites were taken captive because they did not listen to God's words. God gave them many blessings, brought them out of Egypt, and granted them the blessings of the land flowing with milk and honey. But they did not see it as grace; they followed the foreigners to worship idols and repeatedly beat the prophets sent by God. The prophets urged them to repent, but they were unwilling and even killed the prophets. Therefore, they ultimately became slaves in Babylon. They were unwilling to accept God's protection and provision. When they experienced these sufferings, these sufferings were actually not meant to be experienced.
They finally realized their problem and wept before God, truly feeling what it was like to be without God's protection. The Babylonians knew they could sing, so they said, "Come! Sing us a song of Zion." No matter how beautifully you sing, it is different from singing for God in the past. So at that time, the Israelites finally mourned; they wanted to offer their skills and voices to the Lord. This song was meant to express their inner longing and dependence on God.
Let us not wait until that time to cherish the peace of gathering now. Amen! This day is hard-won. When we can freely worship and look up to God, please cherish this day. Because anyone who believes in Jesus knows that the day recorded in Revelation will surely come. When it comes, when the environment changes, you will regret your excuses today: Why did I not listen to God's words more back then? The Israelites have already experienced this. Many times, God gives us opportunities and grace to share the gospel and live in mutual love. This is God's intention; He hopes we live like this all the time.
But we are unwilling. Many times, suffering is not given to us by God; it is caused by ourselves. Looking at history makes it clear that in most cases, people are unwilling to listen to God's words, attacking and destroying each other. Is this not the case during peaceful times? In the history of faith, it is like this; God has given us a piece of peace, and we use it to divide and attack each other, condemning each other, finding fault with everyone. When persecution comes, there is no need to attack each other; everything is lost.
The Israelites went through this process. Let us not wait until that day comes and then say, "Ah! The days before were so good." Let us not wait until suffering comes and then realize how ridiculous it is to attack our brothers. At that time, everyone will bow before God and pray together. Still, the saying goes: when a person's heart truly mourns, he will look up to God. As long as you look up to God, His comfort will immediately come. Let us look at when the Israelites realized they had gone the wrong way and repented before God; God gave them promises.
Let us read Psalm 126 together,
1 When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." 3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. 4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
This speaks of their return from captivity and the feelings of the Israelites. Brothers and sisters, let us not wait until we have suffered and been persecuted to realize that we should not walk this path; this path is truly not to be walked. They did not expect that after seventy years of captivity, they could still return because, in past history, when a country was lost and people were taken captive as slaves, there would be no chance of turning back in this lifetime.
But after seventy years, God brought the Israelites back to the place they had come from, back to their homeland in Jerusalem. The psalm shows us their eager hope. After leaving God, their hearts were truly thirsty. At this moment, on the way back, how happy were their hearts? Can you imagine? After being slaves for seventy years, now on the way home, although they might not have good clothes or anything, their hearts were happy because God was their comfort.
At this moment, although they were in the "desert," they saw the oasis, rejoicing. They had shed too many tears during their captivity, and today they finally had a harvest. What was the reason? Was it because they performed well enough that God let them return? No, it was because their hearts turned back to God. They mourned, so they repented before God, and God saved them. Amen!
Because of their repentance and reliance on God, God restored joy and peace to them and comforted them. So only when a person realizes that he is laboring and heavy-laden and is willing to come before Jesus will God personally comfort them; at that time, they will no longer rely on themselves.
We may think the Israelites are really foolish; they did not know to turn back after seventy years. But now many times, we are like the Israelites; we believe in Jesus but do not know to rely on Jesus, so we are bound by alcohol, the world... and struggle for many years, one day saying, "Lord! I seem to have gone the wrong way; I also want to turn back." God personally comforts you.
Let us not wait until this time. Some say, "I have used all my strength and found it does not work; I come to God in prayer." Do not do such things. When encountering problems, learn to rely on God first, and He will comfort you. Thank and praise the Lord! We must solely look to the grace of Jesus Christ, and His comfort will come upon you. Therefore, at all times, do not focus on people, and do not be proud and arrogant, insisting on running out from under the hen's wings. Follow our Lord forward, and you will always be blessed.
How can we receive true comfort? In the journey of faith, the predecessors summarized a saying: man's end is God's beginning. What did the person who said this experience? Many sufferings and struggles; they have also been busy, only to find that they cannot do it. When a person reaches the end, why is this the beginning of God? At this time, he begins to rely on God. If you feel the burdens on you have pressed you down to the point of breathlessness, making you discouraged, sad, and desperate, go to Jesus immediately; He is your true rest.
There is a Samaritan woman in the Bible who was already miserable; the Samaritans were already looked down upon, and their own people were hostile to each other. This is a very terrible thing; others already look down on them, and they also look down on others. This woman seemed to have no way out. One day, she met Jesus. When she met Jesus, she received true joy and rest.
So at that time, Jesus said, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life," as recorded in John 4. This woman had been in a dry place for too long, and now Jesus found her and gave her the true living water.
From that day on, this woman was completely changed. Think about it; could this woman not have mourning in her heart? Yes, she did. So when our hearts are truly willing to humble ourselves and pray and repent to God, we will encounter the strength and comfort that Jesus gives you. If you find that things in the world cannot truly satisfy you and you are trapped in endless emptiness and pain, unable to extricate yourself, go to Jesus immediately; He can give you that fountain of everlasting life. If you say you are afraid of being looked down upon by others, of being abandoned by others, you need this Savior to help you, so go to Jesus. Because He gives you promises; people may abandon you, but He will never abandon you.
John 6:37, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."
This is the scripture we will meditate on this week. You can choose one to meditate on; which verse do you need to meditate on? Do you need water, or do you need Jesus to tell you the promise that He will never cast you out? God also speaks to you through the prophet Isaiah.
Look at Isaiah 55:1-3,
1 "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David."
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; the water refers to the word of our God. Those who have no money can come; what does this mean? Someone has already paid the bill. Today you can come to God, buy food to eat, and drink His water. Why does it not require money? Jesus has paid the bill for you. So every time you come before Jesus to ask God to accomplish something for you, you should say, "Lord! I know Jesus has paid the bill." You will give glory and praise to our Lord Jesus because He has paid the bill for you.
You cannot pay this bill; God's things are too expensive, so expensive that you cannot afford them. Can you afford the water? Someone might say, "I have paid the water bill." If charged according to God's way, can you afford the air? You cannot afford it. But God says, "Come! As long as you are willing to come to Me, I will not only let you drink water, but I will also let you eat what is good, enjoy abundance, and let your heart rejoice." Hallelujah!
We must come before Jesus. When you come before Him, you receive all of Him, and people will develop a mourning heart. The Chinese meaning is reversed from the original; the Chinese means blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The original means that such people are blessed, so they have a mourning heart.
Mourning means realizing one has gone the wrong way; he will mourn upon seeing others on the brink of death, continuing to move forward. He will not be a proud and arrogant person. So Jesus, with His blood, established an everlasting covenant with you. The Son of God made a covenant with you that will never change, so that you can rely on Him and receive true satisfaction. Amen! So if you trust in Jesus and rely on Him in all things, you can receive this promise, eat what is good, enjoy abundance, and let your heart rejoice. Is this not what people desire? Jesus gives it to you freely. Hallelujah! Jesus wants to give you all of this freely.
Isaiah 61:1-3,
1 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
In chapter 61, God uses this passage to tell us that when Jesus Christ comes, the Spirit of the Lord will be poured out upon us. Now this has been fulfilled; the Spirit of the Lord refers to the Holy Spirit. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart. When God gives this to you, it is like anointing Jesus.
So when Jesus preached, He also used this passage: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor." Why not preach to the proud? They cannot take it in; instead, they will attack you and slander you.
But when you encounter attacks and slander, you should mourn for them in your heart; do not hate them, for what they do, they do not know. "He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted." When we are sent out to do things, who is doing it? It is this Spirit upon you; you are doing things through the Holy Spirit.
So no matter who you pray for, you should say: "In the name of the Lord Jesus, be healed." When you say this, the power of the Holy Spirit fills him, and that person is healed. Amen! "To proclaim liberty to the captives." How do the captives gain freedom? It is also through the name of Jesus Christ, as the Holy Spirit works to release that person's bondage. Hallelujah!
"To open the prison to those who are bound." Who are the bound? For example, there is a person who wants to quit smoking but cannot; this is a bound person, completely imprisoned by smoking. He wants to break free but cannot. Who can release him from this bondage? The Holy Spirit can release him from this bondage and let him walk out of this prison. "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." When Jesus spoke this passage in the New Testament, He proclaimed the acceptable year of the Lord and then closed the book; He did not speak the next sentence because when Jesus came to this world, He wanted to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He wanted to convey the grace of the Lord. Amen!
Now is the time to convey the grace of the Lord; we need to tell the world what Jesus did for them on the cross, telling them, "Come! You can be released, you can be free, you can be healed." Now is the time for us to convey this good news. Today, I want to tell you about what will happen later, so you know what will happen later because we are talking about mourning here.
"To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God." What is the day of vengeance of our God? At the end, God will have a judgment; we can call that day the day of God's vengeance. Has this day come yet? It has not come yet. So what should Christians do when they are wronged and slandered today?
In Revelation, it says, "Lord! How long until You avenge us?" Our Lord says, "Wait a little while longer; I will soon avenge you." He is waiting for that day to come, so God will not let you suffer injustice; He will avenge you.
"And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn." Here, it is important to mention those who mourn. If you are doing things for the Lord and encounter attacks, slander, or even some persecution, God will personally comfort you. Amen! We can leave this matter to the Lord. Remember this: when God comforts you, He will give a crown of beauty to those who mourn in Zion.
If you have mourned for souls, and you have indeed shared the gospel with some people and faced persecution, God will give you a crown. Can you imagine what kind of crown it will be? The Bible mentions many crowns: the crown of righteousness, the crown of life, and many other crowns... In short, God will give you a crown, and that crown will last forever. Amen! Thank the Lord!
"Beauty for ashes." In the past, our bodies were ashes, as if they were not valued by anyone. But at that time, God will give you a crown of beauty, making your mourning disappear and replacing your ashes; "the oil of joy for mourning." It seems that the Lord's servant has suffered many grievances; now God gives him a crown of beauty and the oil of joy to replace his past mourning. "The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." He will be called "trees of righteousness," the planting of the Lord, and you will find that all of this is done by Jesus. God knows all the grievances and sufferings you have endured, and He will give you a crown, give you joy, and give you a garment of praise.
You are the tree planted by the Lord, meant to bring Him glory. Amen! So how can we have this power? It is actually very simple: go to Jesus. You must first know that you are a blessed person. When you know you are a blessed person, the grievances you temporarily suffer, the persecutions you temporarily endure, you know that God will not treat you unjustly; He will give you joy and greater grace upon you. Amen!
Where is our hope? Do you know about the millennium in Revelation? The millennium is a thousand years. The oldest person in the world lived to be 969 years old, Methuselah, Noah's father. Has anyone lived over a thousand years? No, no one in this world has lived over a thousand years.
So God said, "I will give you a compensation of a thousand years in this world." The Bible calls it the millennium. The millennium is not for everyone to enter; if you read Revelation carefully, you will know that the Bible clearly states: the souls of those who were killed for the Lord from the foundation of the world, for the sake of the Lord, these people were killed for holding on to the righteousness of Jesus Christ. For example, Abel was killed for holding on to his faith; he died unjustly! The twelve apostles also died quite tragically. We feel it is so unfair that these people who believe in Jesus die young; what a pity!
Many people, especially Christians, say, "Lord! After these people believed in You, they all died badly. Where is my hope after believing in You? It would be better not to believe and live like the world." God is absolutely a just God. As mentioned earlier, He will give crowns, the oil of joy, and the garments of praise because we are trees planted by the Lord. Since we are trees of righteousness, God will not let you suffer injustice or be wronged. God gives those who die unnaturally a compensation of a thousand years. Who is better off now?
Some say, "I died of old age; that is fine." Dying at eighty years old is good. If great persecution comes, can you hold on to your faith? If holding on to your faith leads to being killed, some say, "How tragic; look at those who believe in Jesus being killed." You must remember the promise God gives you today: do not be discouraged, do not despair; God gives you a compensation of a thousand years.
This thousand years is not the same as the thousand years now. In the millennium, there will be no work of the devil; the whole world will be peaceful for a thousand years. You can do whatever you want without obstruction or conflict for a thousand years. This is God's compensation for those who died for the Lord or died for holding on to their faith.
There is another group of people who can also enter the millennium, which I will explain to you later. Today, I want to tell you that those prophets who died for the Lord should not feel they are tragic; they will receive greater compensation from God. Hallelujah! With this, believe that blessed are those who mourn, for God will surely comfort them. No matter what you encounter, do not be discouraged or despair; come before Jesus Christ, and He will comfort you. Or when the environment changes, do not be discouraged or despair; God will comfort you.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for bringing us back to Your words during this time. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Jesus Christ is my comfort; He is my eternal comforter. I am willing to enjoy Your protection under His wings.
As a new week begins, I am willing to follow Your words, to live by Your words, and to experience Your power in every day of my life. I am willing to obey Your words; please help me. Use me to share Your good news with more people around me. All glory belongs to You. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!