“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

I’ve got so many thoughts about this verse tonight. Jesus doesn’t start the Beatitudes at random. Everything flows out of the first one: being poor in spirit. That’s the place where we recognize we’ve got nothing to offer God but our need. No pretending. No self-reliance. When someone’l is poor in spirit, their heart is already open, already humbled, already aware that they need God. That’s why mourning comes next. This isn’t just feeling sad. It’s the grief of someone who knows they can’t carry the weight on their own.

Tonight is Christmas Eve, and for a lot of people this season isn’t joyful at all. There’s a heaviness that settles in when loss is present, and right now our community is walking through tragedy. I can only imagine what those closest to it are feeling. Christmas has a way of magnifying grief. Empty seats feel louder. Memories hit harder. And the pressure to feel happy can make the pain feel even more isolating.

But Jesus says those who mourn are blessed. Not because loss is good, but because God draws near. Scripture tells us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. God’s comfort isn’t distant or generic. It’s personal. It’s for the one who’s already poor in spirit, already aware of their need, already coming to Him without pretense. When mourning flows from that place, it becomes the very space where God meets us.

God’s heart is tender toward those who are hurting. Whether the loss is a loved one, a relationship, a season of life, or something hard to put into words, if there’s real mourning taking place, God’s heart is for you… And the beautiful thing is that Christmas reminds us God didn’t stay far off from our pain. He stepped into it. Jesus entered our world and experienced what we experience so He could save those who come to Him empty and honest. The promise still stands: comfort is coming. Rest in that promise tonight. God loves you!