◄ What Does Revelation 21:4 Mean? ►

Weeping, we are told by the Lord, shall endure for a night - and the welling tear-drops that have blurred our vision and the floods of tears that have dampened our pillows will one day be wiped away. God Himself will dry every tear, for He enters into every searing pain and each aching heart. Not one secret sigh that crosses the portals of our minds, nor one stabbing pain that cuts deep into our hurting hearts is missed by our gracious God of love - for He is our great God of comfort and Lord of life.

We live in a fallen world and not one of us is exempt from the difficulties and tragedies that stalk the path of every person that is born into this fallen race. But through this beautiful truth, God is giving us a tiny glimpse into the eternal ages to come, when the old order is done away with, and God establishes a new heaven, and a new earth, under His perfect rule of law.

The day is coming when the Lord Himself, will live with men - and they will be His people and He will be their God. This will be a day when all wrongs are put right. Joy will replace sorrow, and God Himself will dry every teardrop. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death. There will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have passed away."

The Lord knows the deepest pain that sears the heart of His people and we are told in Psalm 56 that, "The Lord puts all my tears into His bottle." He treasures the tears that His people shed in this world, for they witness many evils and have to endure much persecution and pain for the sake of Christ. But the tears of His people are precious to the Lord, for they are sharing in Christ's suffering and pain.

Jesus was despised and rejected when He came to earth as the sacrifice for sin. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with the same grief and agony that we often have to undergo. But He also faced the agony of the cross on our account, to gain the victory over sin and Satan, death and hell. What a blessed truth... that a day is coming where every tear will be dried by our precious Saviour, because of His sacrifice... "and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain - for the first things have passed away."

Because of His sacrifice, we are promised that there will be no weeping in heaven, and death and destruction will be swallowed up in victory. Because of Christ's offering of Himself, we are able to rise up into newness of life, where pain and sorrow will flee away - what a wonderful day that will be!

There are those who consider that saints who have wasted opportunities in life, strayed far from the Saviour during their earthly walk, failed to grow in grace, and remained stunted in their Christian development, through indifference or carnality, will be overcome with remorse and grief.. as they shed tears for their failures. But it has been pointed out that the emphasis in this passage is on the comfort of God towards His people and not the remorse of the saints for their loss of reward.

A day is already set, in the council chambers of heaven, when God will wipe away all tears.  And that is a day that we will all witness.  But never forget that in this world of sickness and sin, hardship and pain we have a Saviour, Who understands the gaping grief behind each welling tear-drop that blurs our vision today and cuts deep into the heart of our soul.

Never forget that we have God's indwelling Spirit of comfort, Who is with us the moment each solitary tear-drop starts to dampen our lashes. Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captive free and His Holy Spirit understands - He knows, He loves, and He cares for each one of us, so draw closer to His arms of comfort, and trust in His love today, for a day is coming where there will no longer be any mourning, crying, or pain.

We may not understand why we have to endure some of the things in life that cause such heart-ache and pain, but let us never forget that His eternal perspective is broader than our restricted view. He is our present help in trouble today, and tomorrow He will wipe away the tears from all of our eyes.

Father, I know You are the One that holds the future and I trust my life into Your hands today, knowing that You are with me in every trial and pain I am facing. I don’t understand, but I trust in Your loving-kindness and tender-mercies, which are new every morning – great is Your faithfulness. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.