⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 ESV

Literally, “Happy are those who are grieving.” What are the ways that this could possibly be true?

• Tribulation matures patience (Romans 5:3-4)
• It grows the fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)
• Godly sorrow will lead to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Jesus’ promise of comfort in troubling times is certainly a precious gift. Mourning is an emotion that can cause us to act on some serious matters:

• Christians should mourn the sinful world
• We mourn our own sins
• We mourn the family and friends who are lost

You see, only those convinced of the sinfulness of sin will ever be sorrowful for their separation from God and seek a remedy – much like one who is not sick does not seek out a physician. The Great Physician says “Come Unto Me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

¹⁵ ”Greed has two daughters
named ‘Give’ and ‘Give.’
There are three things that are never satisfied,
really four that never say, ‘I’ve had enough!’:
¹⁶ the cemetery, the childless mother,
the land that never gets enough rain,
and fire that never says, ‘I’ve had enough!’  – Proverbs 30:15-16 NCV

Focusing on material things has no end but the kind of greed and covetousness described here. It is best to flee these things and “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11).

Its best to concentrate on contentment, learn to be generous, grow from godliness. When you do, the spiritual void in your heart shrinks. There will no longer be a need to fill it with things that do not have everlasting substance (1 Timothy 6:6-8). Imagine getting everything you ever wanted by giving away as much as you can! (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3 ESV

Obeying the gospel takes a special disposition. One has to recognize that they are so spiritually destitute as to need to approach the Father for all the necessities and blessings of life. The poor in spirit are not proud or arrogant. Those who don’t recognize this within themselves will never see their spiritual poverty or the need to obey until it is too late.

Heaven belongs to those that put their faith in our Lord and not themselves.

⁹ How can a young person live a pure life?
By obeying your word.
¹⁰ With all my heart I try to obey you.
Don’t let me break your commands.
¹¹ I have taken your words to heart
so I would not sin against you.
¹² Lord, you should be praised.
Teach me your demands.
¹³ My lips will tell about
all the laws you have spoken.
¹⁴ I enjoy living by your rules
as people enjoy great riches.
¹⁵ I think about your orders
and study your ways.
¹⁶ I enjoy obeying your demands,
and I will not forget your word. – Psalm 119:8-16 NCV

How often do you hear this?

“I’m glad I’m not a teenager today!”

Or this?

“I’m glad I don’t have to rear children in today’s environment!”

It does seem like it would be tougher to rear children or to be a young adult with the new temptations that appear every day. The fact is that the same has been true for every generation. If you currently have children or are a young person needing encouragement, you can take heart! While there may be plenty of new mediums for temptation to find us, we can be assured that “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”(Ecclesiastes 1:9)

The Lord has laid out his complete set of instructions that are sufficient to survive anything. (2 Timothy 3:16) Becoming familiar with the Scriptures is the prescribed method to finding our way in these or any other tough times. (2 Timothy 2:15) Imagine having the wealth of of everything God needs us to know right at your fingertips! That is one benefit we have now that no other generation has ever had before.

Psalm 119 is a love song to God’s word. Develop a love like this for it and living in a way pleasing to God will become easy, even in the face of worldly distractions.

 ²⁵ ”Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? – Matthew 6:25-26 ESV

Edward Winslow wrote the following in his book Mourt’s Relation the following account of the event where we trace the modern Thanksgiving:

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.

We know the original settlers did not have an easy time. They needed help from the local natives, who “coincidentally” had an English speaker among them. People died from exposure and starvation, but the first thing they remembered was to be thankful. This is exactly what Paul meant in Philippians 4:6 when he said “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.”

- Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863.

¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

The world will slow down a bit in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. For most it will be the observance of the day off – or even the whole weekend for some – rather than the act of returning thanks to our Lord. Thanks giving is an act that should be a part of our daily routine. Maybe it doesn’t seem like it, but there is always a reason to be thankful. Matthew Henry, the well-known Bible scholar and commentator recorded some remarkable words in his journal one night after he was mugged:

“Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Can you use the last thing that went wrong, or that you didn’t like, and make a list of four things about it that you can be thankful for?

With Thanksgiving on our minds, it is an excellent time to begin a new habit to return heartfelt thanks on a daily basis. Paul had much to say on the subject: Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:15; 1 Timothy 5:5.

 ⁹ Generous people will be blessed,
because they share their food with the poor. – Proverbs 22:9

Last Post, I posed this question: “Will Your Giving Count?” and The last of the suggested readings was 2 Samuel 24:24 where David has been sent to build an altar on someone else’s property. Araunah, the owner, offers to give David the property and the Oxen to make the sacrifice, but he refuses and insists on paying for it. He says, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”

I hope that jarred you into thinking about your giving.

We are entering the season where we will have opportunities through raffles, formal dinners, parties, payroll deduction and more from well-meaning people to try and fulfill a lot of worthy needs. My thought is this: Does enjoying a $100 formal dinner with wine and waiters equal handing $5 to the next homeless person you see? Is your payroll deduction to United Way equal to keeping the heat on for a family that you know has fallen on hard times?

I can’t give you those answers as it ultimately depends on what is in your heart. What I will do is point out some of God’s guidance on how our giving should be:

• We should give Liberally – Luke 6:38
• Our giving should be Sacrificial – Hebrews 13:16
• Giving should be on purpose and cheerful – 2 Corinthians 9:7
• Give in secret – Matthew 6:3-4

God loves a cheerful giver and rewards those who are. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 2:6-13

 ²⁷ The Lord hates sacrifices brought by evil people,
particularly when they offer them for the wrong reasons. – Proverbs 21:27 NCV

This week we will enter into the holiday season. Along with all the “Black” sales there will be plenty of opportunity to help someone. Raffles, formal dinners, parties, etc. held in the name of charity will ramp up soon.

I don’t so much want to examine those events as I want us to look within our hearts. God wants us to be a giving people and to train our hearts to do so without the need for fanfare or recognition. The best way to train ourselves to give correctly is to give – and give liberally of ourselves and our money.

Would you take the time to look at some different giving attitudes today and become a better giver year-round? I have listed a few passages that will get you started.

Poor examples:

• The Rich Young Ruler: Mark 10:18-22
• Judas: John 12:3-6
• Ananias and Sapphira: Acts 5:1-2

Good Examples:

• Barnabas: Acts 4:36-37
• The Poor Widow: Mark 12:41-44
• David: 2 Samuel 24:24

David may have made the most stinging statement of all – In the end, will your giving really count?

 ¹¹ The wise are patient;
they will be honored if they ignore insults. – Proverbs 19:11

Godly people will not “have a chip on their shoulder” nor do they take insults and injustices to heart.

James gives us the New Testament pattern (James 1:19-20).  …let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;²⁰for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.