Lesson Five
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

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

Mourning is the feeling or expression of sorrow. Why we mourn isn’t surprising. Our hearts are filled with sorrow and regrets.

Yes, our sins are forgiven and nailed to the cross of Christ. Still, we know that when we mourn God doesn’t hold this against us. He encourages the honest expressions of our lament.

There is a time, He tells us, for everything. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. God promises to make everything beautiful in His time. Living water will freshen our hearts changing our grief to joy. Let us, therefore, be willing to trust Him.

u God’s Perfect Decisions

God loves us so much. His sacrifice to pave the way for our eternal fellowship with Him is more than our minds can comprehend. Indeed, all who call upon the name of the Lord are blessed.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17

What happens, however, to those who die without hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ? What about those who didn’t have an opportunity to accept or reject Him? Such is the case with aborted children.

Scripture does not specifically tell us where our children are. Yet, we know that God is just, loving and compassionate. Therefore, we can trust Him to do what is best, what is wise, what is good.

Please read the following Scriptures. In your own words, how would you describe God’s ways? His wisdom, understanding, and justice?

Deuteronomy 32:4____________________________________________

Job 4:17____________________________________________________

Psalm 97:2__________________________________________________

Psalm 116:5_________________________________________________

Isaiah 40:28_________________________________________________

Jeremiah 10:12_______________________________________________

u Trusting the Lord

Life poses many questions. We often feel frustrated when we don’t have the answers we want . . . the answers we believe we need. It’s during these times, hopefully, that we begin to recognize that our full confidence must be in Jesus, and not in ourselves.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Why is it better to trust the Lord, instead of our own understanding?

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With what can you trust the Lord?

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What three words best describe how you feel as you begin to lean on the Everlasting Arms?

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In what ways have you been encouraged by the Scriptures you have read so far in this lesson?

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u Mourning for Our Children

Jesus’ unfailing love rests upon us in our time of mourning. He seeks to comfort, guide, and guard us as we go forward with Him.

How often do we long after our aborted children? We struggle in silent sorrow because we know we forfeited the privilege of training them and delighting in their beautiful individualities. We miss our children.

There is a tendency to ponder what our children would have looked like. We often wonder if a bit of ourselves would have been found in them.

Here is where we especially need to realize that imagining the would-have-beens can lull us into a state of fantasy. Instead, let’s focus on the present.

u There Is Much in a Name

Many of us have found great comfort in naming our departed children, mostly because unnamed things seem obscure. A name helps us to affirm their importance and real being.

Why do you think a name is important? Proverbs 22:1.

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Who changed Solomon’s name and what was its new meaning? 2 Samuel 12:24-25.

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If you would like to name your child, then by all means do so. God knows there is much in a name. Go to a quiet place and seek God. If you don’t know the sex of your child, don’t worry. You can pick a name suited for either male or female. Pray for help.

Did you pick a name for your child(ren)? If yes, what is/are the name(s)?

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u Mourning for Our Actions

Read 2 Samuel 12:15-23.

It is important to note that David, a mighty warrior, cried. When did David fast and weep?

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Besides his son’s illness, what might David have been crying about?

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In terms of the abortion, what did you learn from this passage?

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u Sackcloth and Ashes

Mourning is normal, and can even be helpful. It is a time in which our every inner ache comes pouring out, like Niagara Falls, searching for rest.

What do the following Scriptures reveal to you about grief? About the former traditions in which to mourn?

Matthew 2:18______________________________________________________________________

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2 Samuel 12:16_____________________________________________________________________

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2 Samuel 18:33 _____________________________________________________________________

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u Taking Refuge

Read the following Scriptures. Using your own words, can you make the following Psalms become your prayers to God?

Psalm 5:11_________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 16:1_________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 31:1_________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 31:19________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 34:8_________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 119:76_______________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 126:5________________________________________________________________________

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u A Time to Mourn

If there are blue thoughts drifting through your soul, then please allow yourself a time to mourn. Loosen the leash on the recesses of your heartbreak and let go.

Yes, your mourning is overdue. However, isn’t our mourning always somewhat late? There is nothing foolish or selfish about your need to grieve.

Go to your prayer closet and be with God. Sigh with God. And whether or not tears cascade down your cheeks, know that Jesus is with you and will soothe all those old pangs and warm you with the fullness of His comfort.

u New Clothes of Joy

Our Lord lifts us up in our humblest moments in a way we cannot fully understand. It’s as if He personally touches every heavy fiber of our sackcloth and turns them into fine spun threads of joy.

Although you probably won’t notice every newly woven thread, there will soon be a time when you will marvel at your transformed garments and be awed, once again, by the wonder of His hand.

Yes, there may be a question here and there that remains unanswered, but doesn’t this help us learn to rely more fully on Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith? Walk without leaning on your own understanding and learn to trust in Jesus. Simply trust in Him.

Meditations

Would you like to write down some thoughts about the time you spent with your heavenly Father this week?

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Lesson Five Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

u God’s Perfect Decisions

u Mourning for Our Children

u Mourning for Our Actions

u Taking Refuge

u A Time to Mourn

u New Clothes of Joy

Meditations

Lesson Five
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn