People may feel grieved about loss of friendship, property, feel shame, disgrace, and even guilt, but if the behavior doesn't change, it is unproductive.

Because we live in a troubling world, our reserves of joy are probably somewhat low, perhaps making us feel that we are deficient in God's Holy Spirit.

True repentance involves pain, particularly emotional pain. To repent is wrenching to the psyche. It really hurts because it is difficult to do.

Matthew's encapsulation of the Beatitudes, the essence of Jesus Christ's teaching, contains the foundation of His teaching through the entirety of His ministry.

Blessedness and mourning seem contradictory, but obviously Jesus saw spiritual benefits to sorrow. True, godly mourning gets high marks from God.

Noah's flood was an end, the temple's destruction was an end, Christ's second coming will be an end, and the Last Great Day will be an end and a beginning.

The prospect of death makes one more mature and self-aware, illuminating the meaning of Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 that it is better to go to the house of mourning.

Only when we are united with God can we find true joy. If we consistently use His Spirit as a resource, we will have joy as we navigate through trials.

Human happiness is perishable, dependent as it is on positive life-experiences. Spiritual joy is infinitely more enduring than happiness based in the world.

Creating a sense of humor will make it easier to escape the satanic lies of Babylon, or at least make it more endurable.

Among Christ's greatest miracles is the resurrection of Lazarus. John 11 details Jesus' approach to and way of expressing the concept of death, giving hope.

Today's Christianity is more theatrics than theological; feelings have become the replacement for faith, eroding spiritual growth and character.

True joy is based neither on material accumulation, nor in extraordinary physical accomplishments, but in the hope of salvation and the promises of God.

The practice of rending clothes symbolizes sorrow, agony, despair, and hopelessness, a realization that God alone can restore the profound loss.

Worldly sorrow leads to death while godly sorrow leads to repentance and life. After godly repentance, sorrow is swallowed up in profound joy.

When Joel describes the devastating locust plagues, instead of promising a silver lining on a very black cloud, he says things are going to get intensely worse.

Joy is more than happiness. God gives a superior kind of joy through the action of His Spirit in us that far exceeds mere human cheer and well-being.

Materialism has never led to anything but increased sorrow. True lasting joy is based neither on material accumulation nor in physical accomplishments.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 highlight the Bible's attitude toward death, particularly its insistence that we allow the reality of death to change our approach to life.

In Lamentations 3, the narrator finally convinces Lady Jerusalem that her own sins have caused her necessary punishment and affliction by God.

The expressions of sorrow in the Psalms far outnumber expressions of praise, indicating that the Hebrew culture has almost made the lamentation an art form.

Personified Jerusalem, whom God depicts as a grieving widow, blames others for her troubles while overlooking her own sins as the real cause of her sorrow.

We accept most of our opinions, prejudices, and beliefs unconsciously. We must scrutinize our own beliefs through the principles of God's Holy Scriptures.

Attainment of calm joy does not come from anything earthly, but it comes from God, and is dependent upon inculcating godly love.

Nothing happens in our lives (including repentance) until God initiates it. A change of heart, by God's Holy Spirit, results in a total change of direction.

In God's hands, trials and afflictions are tools to produce refined character and joy, and to move us away from worldly choices and back to His purpose.

Jabez's brief but powerful prayer identifies him as a spiritual beacon, a man born in pain who seeks blessing and alignment with God's will.

Worldly sorrow is superficial and unproductive, while godly sorrow yields not only repentance, but also a bumper crop of the fruits of God's Holy Spirit.

Many try to run away from the pessimistic view of the future by retreating into the past, a nostalgic participation in the 'good old days.'

The 'people of the lie' do not believe they have any major defects and, consequently, do not have any need to examine themselves, let alone change.