One Day…

Revelations 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…

Have you known someone for whom it was a blessed relief to leave this world?  Have you ever longed for the freedom that will come when every misery of this flesh is erased? I am not speaking of depression and suicide.  I am referring to the fact that life in this flesh is inherently painful.  From the time we are born, our bodies have already started down the path to sickness, decay and eventually the grave. Our bodies were born to die.  This is promised.

In today’s passage however, God also promises that one day every tear will be wiped away and that death and pain shall be no more.  We carry death in our flesh life, but in our spirit life, we carry this eternal life and hope, that one day, all pains will be healed and all wrongs will be righted.  Though we were born into a defective flesh life, we have, through Jesus Christ, this eternal spirit life, through which we have a glimpse of the perfection we will one day have. We cling to the hope that one day, all defects and pain will be washed away.

Though I do not love my defects, I do not wish away this life, nor do I wish I had no defect now.  I may dislike that I know addiction, but without that defect, I would never have been motivated to know my God as I do now.  As it turns out, in this life, I need my defects to motivate me to my knees before God daily.  Without my defects, I would remain ignorant of my spirit life and I would miss out on the beauty and wonder of knowing God in this life.

Still, I do long for the day when I am no longer burdened with the weight of this flesh and its inherent corruption.  On that day, I will finally be who God made me to be without blemish or defect. When I breath my last and leave this flesh, I will be free and I will be perfect as I was made to be.  I will be with my God, walking hand in hand in the garden as all should be. I am in no hurry to die, but I do of course look forward to that day.

Though we await the hope of that day, our lives in this world are not devoid of beauty and joy.  Our flesh life may be in a state of constant decay, but in our spirit life, we do know beauty and wonder.  This life is not all pain and misery. It is full of love, light, laughter and joy. One day, all the pain of this world will be erased and all of those joys, hopes and triumphs will be made perfect.  One day, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more.