Do Not Allow sorrow to Move In
Good Morning,
Sorrow and mourning are a part of this world. From the first sin, God said that in “pain” Eve would bring forth children; to Adam God said,
Genesis 3:17 “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;”
vs. 18 “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;”
vs. 19 “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
A curse, sorrow, sweat, thistles, and death are the promise of God. It would be wise to assume that each of us will have the visitor of sorrow throughout life. In the verses following this passage, God drove Adam and Eve from the garden.
Sorrow is not to encompass our lives. Adam and Eve brought sorrow on the human race through their sin, but God immediately began to build a wonderful life for these two.
At the end of the book of Genesis, we read about the death of Jacob. Genesis 50:10 tells of seven days of mourning, and then they went back to their homes and jobs and to the good life the Lord had given them.
If you remember the death of Moses, you will notice that the people sorrowed at the loss of their great leader. God allowed that sorrow to endure for a short time, but then God said go on with life and take the land of Canaan. They were not to dwell in the world of sorrow (it was only a place they needed to visit).
Deuteronomy 34:8 “And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.”
Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
vs. 3 “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”
To visit grief and mourning is normal and assumed, but to remain there is against the plan of God. The more we love, the more deeply will be our hurt; and as such, grief will be a more dominant guest, but God does not want sorrow to take up residency. He Who is love wants to be the dominant resident in our hearts.
Saul was the first king of Israel, a very precious and loved man by the old prophet and priest who anointed him, Samuel. Saul became sidetracked and grieved God in such a way that God “repented” for placing Saul in the office as King. Samuel sorrowed deeply at the tragic situation.
1 Samuel 15:11 “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.”
vs. 35 “And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.”
1 Samuel 16:1 “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.”
One of the great tragedies of our society is the intentional cultivation of grief, sorrow, guilt, and blame. We serve a God of forgiveness, mercy, love, and hope, but we can assume that everything Satan does is going to be the opposite of God. Whether through counselors or social media, hurting folks are encouraged to keep their grief alive and even to nurture it.
Countless Bible passages teach us that anyone can find grace to build a great and useful life through the power of the Lord
Christ brought life.
Christ brought forgiveness.
Christ brought mercy.
Christ brought hope.
Christ brought courage.
Christ brought comfort.
To wallow in guilt, to nurture pain and suffering, and to live in the sorrow of yesterday are surely destructive.
Paul and Moses were murderers; the woman at the well was morally fallen; Peter exhibited cowardice and denied the Lord; Christ’s siblings said He was crazy; Joseph was sold as a slave, yet in each case, victory was given by God and the promise of a great new life was found.
It is okay to grieve and to allow the visitor of sorrow to sit at your table for a short time, but through Christ, there is too much good in life to allow grief to be your roommate.
Our culture says to “let it go” or “move on.” The Bible states it more eloquently:
Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
vs. 14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Even after years of captivity and punishment, God made it clear that Israel would find great joy.
Isaiah 51:11 “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”
vs. 12 “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;”
Bring joy back into your world; welcome mercy, forgiveness, and the countless promises of God. We are human, and love will have the unpleasant guest of hurt, but do not allow sorrow to stay long.
Pastor