It’s Going to Be Okay
“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:17
Sometimes when people say, "It's going to be okay," it's an empty platitude. Sometimes they mean that there is no reason for tears to flow from our eyes, and that's simply not true. We have valid reasons to cry today. Any stoic philosophy or chronically cheery person is, to some extent, promoting the denial of the deep painfulness of this life. Sickness and death touch people we love. Natural disasters devastate entire regions. Financial collapses wipe out life-savings. Evil people intentionally hurt us. Our crying is a proper response. Yet, God promises that he will make up for every tear you've ever cried.
The Lamb who was slain is your Shepherd.
If the pain of this life makes you doubt God's love, consider that our Shepherd is described as the Lamb. This means two things. Firstly, it means that Jesus did not elect to stay detached from our pain but chose to become one of the sheep, taking on flesh and the very pains we cry over. He experienced agony, a troubled heart, and weeping. Secondly, it means that he sacrificed himself for us. The fact that Jesus is called "the Lamb" does not just mean that he became one of us but that he also stood in our place to take the punishment for sin. If, in your tears, you doubt God's goodness, look at your Shepherd, who chose to enter into our suffering for our sake.
The good Shepherd will lead you to living water.
Jeremiah 2:13 describes God as the fountain of living waters and all other things we worship as "broken cisterns that can hold no water." We try to heal our wounds with things like sex, money, power, and the praise of others. While these things have their proper place, they are cheap replacements for God. And the promise of Scripture is our Good Shepherd, the creator and lover of our souls, will lead us to Himself. You may feel like a newborn baby crying, waiting for the warm touch of a mother. The promise of Scripture is that the one whose attachment you long for most deeply, whether you know it or not, will not leave you unattended.
Your Shepherd will wipe away every tear from your eyes.
In perfect union with God, no pain or trauma from your past will haunt you. Our Shepherd's healing hand will administer a perfect balm to each of your wounds. No present pains will beset you. No fear of the future will hold you. You will rest secure forever in the arms of your redeemer.
In your darkest moments, you may wonder if the sun will ever rise and if your tears will ever stop flowing. Take heart. In not much time, your Shepherd will come. He knows your pain, and he cares deeply. He will wipe your wet cheeks and bring living water to your thirsty lips.
