What do you long for? What is the first thing to come to mind? Vacations, sports, rest, visiting loved ones, summer weather? Or are you reading this today from survival mode and you just want to feel better, for the fear to subside, for your beloved to become well again, for the problems to go away?
At this moment I am thinking of a colleague whose husband is fighting for his life due to disease, another colleague whose wife is fighting for her life due to cancer, family members facing indescribable challenges, and several other confidential issues. I’m intentionally being vague here to respect people’s privacy however what I can say is that all of these scenarios leave me feeling depressed, full of sorrow, concerned for the future, and heartbroken for the many lives impacted by these situations.
In parallel, I am repenting for taking a lot of things for granted during the good times because I’m going through a season of sorrow, and the resolution is beyond my control.
Lord, forgive me for putting my hope in the things of this world. Let me see your hand at work in everything. When the song “The Blessing” came on last night I felt your presence, I felt the blessing and I know my family felt it too as we sang aloud. Forgive my lack of gratitude, my doubt, and my worry. You God are all I should long for. Amen.
All of our negative emotions and all of our pain tie back to sin in this world but we must not live in despair. There is hope! Today’s reading (Revelation 21) talks about a new heaven and a new earth after Revelation 20 which describes the defeat of Satan. Because of this defeat, death and all of our pain and sorrow will someday be gone if we have put our faith, hope, and trust in Jesus.
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.” (Revelation 21:4)
Please meditate on that verse with me for a moment. No more tears, no more death, no sorrow, no pain. No more seasons of survival mode. Turn with me to Jesus, the one who knew the most gruesome suffering which he took voluntarily so that at the end of this life, we shall suffer no more. It is a promise from God which brings hope when we realize no matter how much we’ve lost, or how little we have, Jesus is all we need.