Christ Leads The Way

Have you ever been around a newborn baby that is in need of something? They cry and scream until someone comes to their aid. They can do absolutely nothing but scream to the top of their lungs until a parent comes to help them and give them what they need. Sometimes the infant still cries after the parent picks them up and cradles them, giving them everything they know to provide them. In the eyes of the Lord, we are but mere babes. We’re in constant need of His provision, and without His help, we simply could not make it. And like with the needy newborn who cries for her parents’ help, God hears our every cry and He sees every one of our tears.

So whatever it is you may be going through – sickness, divorce, loss of a loved one, persecution, homelessness, loss of a relationship, joblessness, depression, lack of finances, overwhelming debt, heartache, and pain – God sees; God knows, and He cares. I can say that with an assurance because the Lord is not slack concerning His promises. If you’re not going through some type of test of your faith now, then eventually you will.

It’s not a strange thing for a Christian to experience hardship. Jesus said, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (John 16:33). We are not exempt from trouble. In fact, the Christian is bound to have lots of suffering just because we serve Christ. “Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:19). The devil wants to pluck us out of God’s hand. Christ said that “no one will snatch [us] out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:29). So there’s hope for the weary-hearted and comfort for the teary-eyed. Our afflictions will not be few, but we have the promise of the God of heaven that He will see us through every one of them.

Sometimes what we as Christians suffer may be at the hands of other people. Jesus said “because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15: 19-20). No matter how you look at it or whatever form it’s in, trouble will come. So, “dear friends, when the fiery ordeal arises among you, don’t be surprised by it, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah rejoice, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

If you are a Christian, then you can count it all joy “whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do it’s complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). That doesn’t mean that we walk around laughing and grinning when we are suffering. It means that on the inside, our souls can have peace and rejoice in the midst of our struggles, knowing that we partake in Christ’s suffering and will also partake in His glory. We still cry out to the Lord when it hurts, when we are sad, when we are downtrodden, and when we grieve. That inner rejoicing doesn’t eliminate our tears.

But don’t be discouraged. Lift up your bowed down head. The Lord sees your tears. He puts them in His bottle and records every one of them (Psalm 56:8). For some of us that bottle is probably labeled “ocean,” and it’s comforting to know that God cares about even the tear drops from our eyes. I’m glad for the hope of an eternal home in heaven with Him. “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4: 17-18).

That hope of an eternal home is only available to those who obey the Lord Jesus Christ, believe on His name, and put Him on in baptism. Like the parent who comforts the newborn who cries when she’s hungry, sick, in pain, or just needs to be held, God has promised us the solace of heaven. There, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death; neither will be there be mourning, nor crying, and no more pain (Revelation 21:4). Don’t you want to go where God will wipe away all tears?