Thursday, July 18, 2013

By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo

Day 3: The Beatitudes "Blessed are those who Mourn"

Crossing the Bayou

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

On February 20, 1994, Victory Life Church Pastor John Allen preached a challenging sermon on "Crossing the Jordan" from the account of the children of Israel crossing the Jordan River and entering into the Promised Land. Pastor John encouraged his church congregation that soon they would be moving into a new, bigger church building...giving them the opportunity to reach more people.

The building was across Bayou Lafourche in their city of Lockport, LA. It wasn't quite the Jordan River, but it was their connection to their "Promised Land."

Church members were inspired through that sermon but at the moment, no one realized the significance of his words. Later that day, Pastor John was tragically electrocuted in a water baptism ceremony leaving behind a relatively new church, two young sons and a courageous wife.

Like Moses, Pastor John would never enter into his "Promised Land" on earth.

After a significant amount of time elapsed from Pastor John's death, his wife, Pastor Chris, preached a sermon that "time" is NOT the healer but that Jesus is the healer. Many people say that "in time," your grief will go away, yet they find themselves remaining "stuck" in grief years later unable to obtain God's promises.

Today's beatitude offers a blessing and comfort for those who MOURN. You cannot be blessed and comforted if you have suppressed your feelings and have simply turned to distractions to mask your pain. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says that there is a "time to mourn." However, Psalm 30:5 encourages that "weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning."

John 14:26 refers to The Holy Spirit as a "Comforter." God offers supernatural comfort for those who grieve while still putting their trust in Him...a comfort that is a connection to their "Promised Land."

Pastor John's church and family mourned his tragic death and still miss him greatly, but they knew that they still had purpose for themselves, their communities and their families and chose to move forward. So, on April 3, 1994, with police escorts, they marched over the Lockport Bridge and Bayou Lafourche toward their new building, their "Promised Land" and have accomplished great things since. At 12-years-old, I was part of this momentous event. 

I challenge you today to mourn when it is time to mourn but to also invite the Holy Spirit in your life to bring comfort so that you may enter into God's continued promises for your life and your family.

Dear Lord, Fill my life with Your presence so that I can always experience supernatural joy in You. Thank You that tragedy in my life is not the "end" of me. I still have promise in You.

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.