Matthew 5:4 - Those who mourn

Jesus started out the Sermon on the Mount with a series of blessings. The second one is:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
(Matthew 5:4, New American Standard Bible, 1995)

Does this mean that anyone who ever sheds a tear, anyone who suffers some kind of grief will automatically receive comfort from God?

Logically speaking, if someone denies that God exists, or they have no use for God, it will be very difficult for them to receive comfort from God. Then again, God showers people with blessings regardless of what they think of Him. (Matthew 5:45) Why? Because "the kindness of God leads [people] to repentance." (Romans 2:4, NASB95) That kindness has a way of sneaking up on people--even in the form of comfort from God, the source of all good gifts (James 1:17).

Likewise, God cannot comfort people who mourn the wrong things: being aggrieved that selfish expectations weren't met, self-pity over trivialities, pouting over hurt pride, etc.

However, the deeper one's grief aligns with God's own values, the deeper the comfort. The Bible says that God...

"comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." (2 Corinthians 1:4-5, English Standard Version)

God became Man. Jesus was born on earth to identify with us in our mortal humanity. To redeem us, He experienced the full brunt of the effects of evil and sin in the world. He joined with us in our suffering, so we could join with Him in His suffering--and resurrection.

God above,
I get caught up in my own self-pity. I need to learn to be sad over what makes you sad; to grieve over what makes you grieve.
But for those everyday setbacks and hurts, please enter into those times of loss and mourning. Let me find refuge and comfort in the suffering of Christ, who rose from the dead to give me life, both now and in eternity. In His name I pray, Amen.