Day Two Matthew 5:4-5
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth. – Matthew 5:4-5 (NLT)
Learn From the Word
After laying the foundation that only those who recognize their need of a Savior will inherit the Kingdom of God, Jesus builds the next rungs on the ladder of the Beatitudes. Those who have come to a recognition of their helplessness to achieve right standing before God on their own merit will mourn over this sin. The Greek word for “mourn” here means to wail and lament. It’s the kind of deep grieving that we humans often avoid. But what Jesus tells His listeners is that walking through this kind of grief over our sin and the sin of the world is the pathway to experiencing God’s comfort! This is the kind of disciple who has gained a right view of self and learned to trust in God’s control over all situations. These are the people to whom God gives the keys to the whole earth.
Put It Into Practice
At the end of His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to His followers, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV, emphasis added). Growing as a disciple of Jesus usually requires us to get out of our comfort zones. Have you put into practice the application from Day One yet? If not, make sure to do so today! If you have, take time to review your list and reflect on any areas that might cause you to mourn. Allow time to grieve and then praise the God of all comfort.
For Families with Kids at Home
We see throughout the Bible that God’s people can experience sadness. God doesn’t see sadness as a problem. In fact, God often meets people in their sadness in a unique way. Encourage your kids that it’s okay to be sad and that God wants to be there with them whenever they’re sad, just like a best friend would!