The Ache That Leads to Hunger
Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church
October 12th Sermon, Day 2
There's something powerful about feeling deeply troubled by the brokenness around us. When we see injustice, pain, or suffering - whether in our own lives or in the world - and it moves us to tears, we're experiencing something sacred. This mourning isn't just sadness; it's a holy dissatisfaction with the way things are. It's the recognition that our world is fractured and needs healing.
When we allow ourselves to feel this deeply, we're aligning our hearts with God's heart, who also grieves over brokenness and longs for restoration. Many of us have been taught to push through difficult emotions or to "stay positive" in the face of hardship.
But Jesus taught that there's blessing in mourning - not because suffering is good, but because it opens our hearts to receive comfort and compels us to seek change. This mourning also creates in us a hunger and thirst for righteousness. We begin to long not just for personal moral improvement, but for right relationships - with God, with others, and with the world around us. This spiritual hunger is actually a sign of spiritual health, indicating that we're alive to what matters most. When we feel that deep ache for things to be made right, we're not being overly sensitive or naive. We're responding as God's image-bearers should, with hearts that break for what breaks God's heart.
Bible Verse
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." - Matthew 5:4
Reflection Question
What brokenness in your life or in the world around you moves you to tears, and how might God be using that mourning to shape your heart for his purposes?
Quote We're blessed when we see the brokenness in our own lives and in the world around us and we mourn because of it.
Prayer
Lord, give me a heart that feels deeply about the things that matter to you. Help me not to become numb to suffering, but to let it drive me closer to you and motivate me to be part of your healing work in the world. Amen.
