“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold! I am making all things new!’” - Revelation 21:4-5a
My Father in Heaven, how I long for the day when there will be no more tears. No more death. No more sadness, or crying or pain. Since Adam and Eve inaugurated the curse, there has not been a day that the consequences of sin have not been felt. Relational brokenness. Violence. Theft. Lying. Murder. Self-righteousness bigotry. And the earth has not been unaffected. Storms, earthquakes, floods and the like have caused unceasing grief among humanity.
I thank you, my compassionate Savior, that you are well acquainted with my tears. Some flow as the result of my own foolish, and often sinful, choices. Others stain my face because of the curse. Sickness and death have separated me from those whom I love. The wounds of betrayers and enemies have produced their own share of tears. I have been the object of affliction from other evil men.
Yet, Jesus, you know the effects of the fall more intimately than anyone. As the Man of Sorrows, you are well familiar with the depths of human grief, none of which was due to your fault or neglect. Not only did you suffer in flesh from unjust accusation, betrayal and ultimately a brutal death, but also your soul bore the full weight of the justice for the sins of your people (including mine), as you experienced the spiritual agony of God’s righteous judgment on the cross.
And the cross teaches me that as my substitute, you redeemed me from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for me. Therefore, I will not weep in judgment. When this life passes, and you initiate the age of consummation, I will live in paradise. No more tears, sadness, crying or pain. Nothing but undiluted, perfect and inexpressible joy in your presence. As Paul said, “I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us.” For many, the suffering is severe. So I trust that the glory you are to reveal to your people is utterly beyond finite human comprehension. What an encouragement that is to my heart, Father.
What would it be like for me to live with that hope now? What if I could anchor my heart today to the reality of eternal joy? What might that kind of faith enable me to endure? Honestly, Father, I don’t want to find out. I do not desire the kinds of trials that you speak of in your word that prove the refining fire to faith. But I have tasted the fire, and know that more trials, even more severe than I have yet known, will come. So prepare my mind and heart now to face the sorrow and the sadness then. May I grieve fully as a human, but not without the hope that has been promised to me in the gospel.
And so my prayer today is that you would grant me a full supply of sustaining grace and a faith that is overflowing with hope. When I taste the saltiness of tears, may I be reminded of your sweetness, knowing that sorrows in this life serve joy as the law serves the gospel, which drives me to Jesus with every command.
