He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. – Revelation 21:4
Sorrow and joy… they are not mutually exclusive. For example, have you experienced an occasion when death brought great loss, but the knowledge that suffering had come to an end brought a sense of joy at the same time?
Death touches every life, whether it is the physical loss of a loved one, the emotional pain involved at the ending of an important relationship, or even in the confusion of one losing faith, walking away from God. Death in any form produces sorrow and human suffering. Many people you meet today are suffering from devastating loss.
Through His own death, burial, and resurrection, Christ put a permanent end to the effects of death. In Romans, the Apostle Paul says the pain and sorrow of this life on earth can produce hope for those trusting in Christ; “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, we rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:2-5).
The suffering you see in the world today is real. Hurting people need practical help and at the same time, they need spiritual help through a relationship with Christ, the Savior, Healer. Pray for Americans to be a generous people that helps those who are hurting. Pray for the government as it seeks to provide practical help to those in need. And pray for the American church to uphold the goal of offering the gospel of Hope to the lost.
Today’s Verse: Revelation 21:4
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.”
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: 1 Peter 1:3-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
