Todd Johnson
Family Pastor
Revelation 21:4
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
I find great comfort in this verse from Revelation. Life is hard, there is no denying that. There are seasons of life when the challenging days out number the good days. How do you find joy during those rough days? What keeps you going and motivated to press on? I was recently asked two different times the same question, “What motivates me to get out of bed in the morning?” Honestly, my answer has been my two boys and that stems from losing my wife and knowing that I need to be there for them since I am the only parent they have. That is not a wrong motivation, but I am praying that my heart will be geared to wanting to witness to the lost and discipleship as key things that motivate me.
I say all of this because going back to this verse I chose this week; it gives me great peace knowing what is to come. Jesus will wipe away every tear and there will be no pain or sorrow. I need to lean into my daily motivations, but I also want to keep the big picture in mind that eternity with Jesus will be perfect. When I think about Bethany, I think about this verse and that she is in eternal glory and has no sickness, no hurt, just pure joy, and contentment for eternity! This truth brings me great comfort and allows me to smile through the hard days. My grief journey is ongoing and will be as long as I am here on this earth. I am reaching milestones along the way and am grateful for God’s Word to speak truth into my life. I pray that you will find your motivation and hold on to the fact that God loves you and if you believe in Him, you will spend eternity in peace and joy.