revelation 7:16-17

"Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be
their shepard;
He will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes."


Every time I read this verse it means something different to me. Usually I relate it to my own struggles, looking inward and seeking relief from from my tears/pain/heartaches. But lately I've taken it differently. Jesus asks us to be His hands and feet, therefore while we are here on earth we should take it upon ourselves to show others compassion; to make a conscious effort to alleviate others suffering, to wipe away their tears just as Jesus does for us every day until we meet Him; when they can finally be wiped away forever. The Latin root of compassion is "to suffer with". God showed the world ultimate compassion when He sent His son to come down and suffer with us. Grace is what resulted. I want my life to look more like Jesus, so instead of loving some and showing indifference to others I should be striving to love all, making extra efforts to be compassionate. Why is that so uncomfortable to do? Living in this world can make it pretty hard sometimes, yet it is so rewarding when we do make an extra effort to love. I'm far from it, but one day I hope it can become a natural disposition for me.

This verse means a lot when simply looking inward on my own life, but it also serves as a reminder: like Jesus, we need to reach our hands into the lives of others and show unconditional love.

C.S. Lewis does a pretty good job of summing up what I feel when I read the verse:

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." -C.S. Lewis\

I desire an end to suffering. Not only do I long for my own tears to be wiped away, but the tears of others. The only means of satisfying this is by allowing God to enter my soul, heal it, tweak it, and make it His own.