Revelation 21:4 (ESV)
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…”
DEVOTIONAL
This simple phrase holds profound comfort for the weary soul. In just a few words, God gives us a glimpse of what awaits His people in the new heavens and new earth. Every sorrow, every grief, every wound this fallen world has left upon us—God Himself will tenderly remove them. Not merely distant consolation, but personal care: “He will wipe…”
The same God who spoke galaxies into being, who thundered at Sinai and walked in Galilee, bends down to dry the tears of His children. This is no vague hope, no sentimental notion. It is the certain promise of our covenant-keeping God, fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Notice the intimacy here. God does not send an angel to wipe away our tears. He does it Himself. This is the nearness of our Redeemer—He is not ashamed to call us His own (Hebrews 2:11), and He will stoop in tenderness to erase the sorrows of this age forever.
And what tears will He wipe away? All of them. The tears of suffering. The tears of repentance. The tears we’ve shed in secret when the burdens were too heavy to bear. The tears over death, injustice, betrayal, loneliness. In His kingdom, they will be no more.
Because Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3), we can be assured that no pain we endure is unknown to Him. He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows to the cross. There, He drank the full cup of God’s wrath so that we could be welcomed into everlasting joy.
The promise of Revelation 21:4 is not just for some far-off day—it strengthens us now. It reminds us that suffering has an expiration date. Christ is making all things new, and the days of weeping are numbered. Every trial we endure is being used by God to prepare us for the glory to come (2 Corinthians 4:17).
So press on, dear pilgrim. The valley is real, but it is not forever. The Shepherd walks with you, and the day is coming when He will tenderly dry your eyes with His own hand. And once He does, tears will be no more.
Prayer
Merciful Father,
You are near to the brokenhearted and close to those who are crushed in spirit. Thank You for the sure promise that You will one day wipe away every tear from our eyes. Thank You for Jesus, who bore our sorrows and conquered the grave, so that suffering will not have the final word.
Help us to trust in Your goodness when the path is dark and our hearts are heavy. Give us eyes of faith to see the hope of glory that awaits us. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to endure in the present with joy, knowing that soon we will see You face to face—and that in Your presence, all sadness will melt away.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Until that day, keep us faithful. And let every tear remind us that this world is not our home—we are journeying to the city whose builder and maker is God.
In the name of our Savior,
Amen.