“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” – Revelation 21:4
I imagine this scene often. I imagine it all being over—all the pain, all the difficult decisions, all the sin that rages inside me, all the devastating effects of sin on me, my family, and the world, all the striving, all the waiting, all the suffering and hardship and trials, all the strained relationships, all the lost dreams, all the unfulfilled ambitions—and then weeping. Weeping over what was lost, but also weeping for joy over what I know awaits me.
And then, like a kind, compassionate, and gentle Father, he takes my face in his hands, wipes away the tears from my eyes, looks into them and tells me it’s all okay; the place He has prepared for me is free from sorrow and pain. There’s no need to be scared anymore, never again will I ever be crushed under the weight of sin, the world, guilt, shame. None of these things exist in my new home.
And all that other stuff I did, how I defamed Him and hurt Him, how I unfairly represented Him, how I presumed upon His grace, how I took his mercy for granted, abused my authority, misused the Bible for my own gain—that’s all gone. Forgiven. Forgotten.
My loneliness? No more. My pride? No more. My doubts? No more. My carnal desires? No more. My rebellious heart? No more. My selfishness? No more. My craving for praise and success and power and recognition? No more. These are all extinguished on the cross and their decrepit remains lie buried in a grave, never to see the light of day again.
And to me, with my face in His hands, His thumbs wiping away my tears; to me, who is neither good nor faithful, He will say, “Well done My good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.”
And forevermore I’ll be ever able to gaze upon, walk with, commune with, worship, and partake of the glory of the One who willingly shed His own innocent, pure, undefiled blood to secure this future for me.
What a good King. What a good Lord. What a good God. What a good Savior.
Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash