May 12th, 2023
Friday, May 12
Don’t Be Discouraged!
By: Anna Williams
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” -Matthew 5:4 NIV
I have often heard this scripture quoted at funerals. After all, it is of help to know that when we believers suffer the loss of a loved one, God will draw near to us and bring us comfort. This can be true for any loss that we mourn.
However, I ran across an interesting and different take on this verse in the Amplified Bible: “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].” – Matthew 5:4 AMP
This quote from Jesus is also talking about the comfort that God’s grace can bring to us when we recognize the gravity of our sins, and we repent of them. To truly be repentant, we must not only apologize, but we need to take responsibility for our part in doing wrong. We acknowledge that it was hurtful to us and those around us. In repentance, we recognize that sin leads to death: death of relationships, death of character, death of reputation, death of joy and sometimes actual bodily death.
Maybe you understand all too well the death that has come about through your sin and you feel like you are being crushed under the weight of it. Don’t get discouraged! This is what is so awesome about this scripture! If you repent, God will comfort you and lift that heavy burden of sin from you. However, you must be careful about taking it back again upon yourself.
Once we have asked for forgiveness, we need to begin living for Jesus. This means we avoid the friends, places, habits, etc. that might lead us back to that sin. We need to seek out good, Godly friends that will encourage us in our new walk with God. Spending time daily in God’s word and amongst other Christians in community will help us better understand how to live for Him.
If you are living under the burden of your sins and you haven’t gotten right with God – you can do so right now. Confess your sins to God, ask Him to forgive you of those sins, and ask Jesus to become Lord of your life.
Don’t Be Discouraged!
By: Anna Williams
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” -Matthew 5:4 NIV
I have often heard this scripture quoted at funerals. After all, it is of help to know that when we believers suffer the loss of a loved one, God will draw near to us and bring us comfort. This can be true for any loss that we mourn.
However, I ran across an interesting and different take on this verse in the Amplified Bible: “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].” – Matthew 5:4 AMP
This quote from Jesus is also talking about the comfort that God’s grace can bring to us when we recognize the gravity of our sins, and we repent of them. To truly be repentant, we must not only apologize, but we need to take responsibility for our part in doing wrong. We acknowledge that it was hurtful to us and those around us. In repentance, we recognize that sin leads to death: death of relationships, death of character, death of reputation, death of joy and sometimes actual bodily death.
Maybe you understand all too well the death that has come about through your sin and you feel like you are being crushed under the weight of it. Don’t get discouraged! This is what is so awesome about this scripture! If you repent, God will comfort you and lift that heavy burden of sin from you. However, you must be careful about taking it back again upon yourself.
Once we have asked for forgiveness, we need to begin living for Jesus. This means we avoid the friends, places, habits, etc. that might lead us back to that sin. We need to seek out good, Godly friends that will encourage us in our new walk with God. Spending time daily in God’s word and amongst other Christians in community will help us better understand how to live for Him.
If you are living under the burden of your sins and you haven’t gotten right with God – you can do so right now. Confess your sins to God, ask Him to forgive you of those sins, and ask Jesus to become Lord of your life.
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