1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: You're listening to daily devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stangey, 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: and today's devotion is inspired by Revelation chapter twenty one, 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: verse four, which says He will wipe every tear from 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: former things have passed away. There are various aspects of 9 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: our lives on this earth that produce discomfort and pain. 10 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: Because of the presence of sin and rebellion in our lives. 11 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: We have invited these things to be part of the 12 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: human experience on this planet. God would have been perfectly 13 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: justified in allowing us to walloway in our own consequences 14 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: for all time if he chose to, But thankfully he 15 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: is merciful and gracious. God has promised that all who 16 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: trust in Jesus Christ for salvation will experience a glorious 17 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: and perfect future. He will make his home with us. 18 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: We will live forever in his presence. The effects of 19 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: our sin and rebellion will be wiped away, and the 20 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: painful aspects of earthly life that we've become accustomed to 21 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: will be brought to an end. This means that whatever 22 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: is grieving your heart right now is temporary. You won't 23 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: always feel this way, you won't always cry, you won't 24 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: always mourn. Your pain isn't permanent. Jesus bore our griefs 25 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: and sorrows so he could usher us into the kind 26 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: of future he has always intended that we live in. 27 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: Let this truth encourage your heart today. Let's pray. Lord, 28 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: We thank you for your word, and we thank you 29 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 30 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: read it together today and to think about the things 31 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: that you reveal to us in it. You show us, 32 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: in this portion of Scripture a glimpse of the future 33 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: that you have in store for all those who know you. 34 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: Through your son Jesus Christ. Father, you tell us that 35 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: the day is coming when you will wipe every tear 36 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: from our eyes. We won't deal with death any longer. 37 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 1: Mourning or crying or pain will all be done away with, 38 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: and the type of difficult things that we're used to 39 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: experiencing and used to dealing with right now will be finished. Father. 40 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: We're grateful for the glimpse of the future that you 41 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: give to us in this passage, because it's a very 42 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 1: hopeful picture. You're showing us things that are so far 43 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: beyond what we're used to that it's hard to even 44 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: imagine that these things are real. But yet this is 45 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: the kind of future that you've guaranteed us, and this 46 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 1: should impact our perspective. Right now, Lord, we go through 47 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: painful things, but at the same time, you remind us 48 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: through this passage and many similar passages, that the trials 49 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: we endure right now are only for a season. They're 50 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: not permanent, they're just temporary things. If we've experienced new 51 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: life and redemption through your son, Jesus Christ, we can 52 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: be assured that what we experience right now, the pain, 53 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: the morning, the sorrow, the sadness, the death, the difficulty, 54 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: all of these things are just for a moment, and 55 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: you have much better things in store for us. So, Father, 56 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: thank you for securing our future, and thank you for 57 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: giving us joy that isn't dependent on our circumstances. Right now, 58 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: we love you, Lord, and we thank you for all 59 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: of these things. In Jesus's name. Amen.