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"The God who wipes tears" -- Revelation 21:1-6a
"I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End," declared the One who was seated on the throne in John's vision (Revelation 21:6). Alpha is, of course, the first letter in the Greek alphabet. Omega is the twenty-fourth and last letter. I am the "A" and the "Z" we might say, though without the grandeur of the Greek. I am the beginning and the end, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. In other words, God is the God of the past, the present and the future. He is the great "I Am." His kingdom is forever and ever. Before the world was created, He was. When all matter ceases to exist, He will be.
Think what it would mean if you and I had an assurance of the permanence and faithfulness of God. The Old Testament writers gloried in that assurance: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God," Moses prayed in Psalm 90:2.
"A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4).
Israel gloried in the God of their past. Stories from their past were vital to their survival. In times of great trial, it was important to recall God's saving acts on their behalf. Those wonderful stories of God's faithfulness gave them hope and inspiration for the present.
In the Jewish family fathers bore the responsibility of burning into the minds and hearts of his children the history of Israel. They were never to forget God had brought them with a strong hand out of Egypt. They were never to forget the Passover Lamb, the opening of the Red Sea, being preserved in the wilderness for forty years, the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan River, and the battle of Jericho. These things were engraved in their memory. The Old Testament is the repeated accounts of God's saving acts in the life of the people of Israel.
The faithfulness of God toward His people is for eternity. God is the God of the past–the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the present and the future. Some people want to enshrine God in the past, particularly in the days when the events of Scripture were taking place. Some want to restrict God to the future– to the sweet by-and-by. Others assume he's left us to ourselves and is nowhere to be found. But God is a God of 'right now!'
What poor lives we lead if we fail to perceive God in the present moment. "This is the day which the Lord has made," says the Psalmist, "we will rejoice and be glad in it" (118:24). God is alive and at work in our world. He is available to us now. He is a God of faithfulness, patience, and infinite love. Elizabeth discovered that about God. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, well known for her work helping those who were dying, once showed a group of seminary students a drawing. It had been made by a child with terminal cancer. This child refused to talk but was willing to communicate through pictures. A beautiful little cottage was drawn off to the side of the paper. Above the cottage a brilliant sun shone. Surrounding the cottage, was a beautiful lawn with flowers and trees. In front of the cottage was a mother, father, and two children playing. In the center stood a tiny figure facing a large, armored tank bearing down upon him. Obviously, the tiny figure represented the dying child who saw himself helpless before a gigantic force about to destroy him. Dr. Kubler-Ross asked the students, "How could you help this child communicate his fears? How could you offer him comfort?" One student drew a picture of a figure holding a stop sign in front of the tank. But this did nothing to soothe the child when it was shown to him. A second student then drew another person in the picture who simply stood by the little child and held his hand as he faced the gigantic force. That broke the wall of silence and enabled the child to finally pour out all his pent-up feelings. John's vision in Revelation 21:4 tells us we have a God who stands beside us, holds our hand, and gently wipes our tears.
This isn't a Pollyanna faith. It doesn't say we will avoid tears. Far from it. What it says is that there is One who wipes tears from His children's eyes. We can stand and hold on because Someone stands beside us and holds our hand. We are not alone. God is the God of the present. His love and his patient caring are available to all of us at this very moment. Regardless of the burden we may be carrying, He's available to us, right now.
He is the God of the future. Many of us are a bundle of anxieties concerning the future of our health, our finances, our children, even the state of our world. Do you think the God who has loved us and sustained us to this point is suddenly going to forget us? Of course not. The future is in his hands. This is the secret to facing an uncertain future. God is the God of the future. He is with us. He always will be. He'll never forsake us. He is the God who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. We are not alone. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End. He is the great "I Am." His kingdom is forever and ever. Before the world was created, He was. When all matter ceases to exist, He will be. God stands with all of those who trust in Him and will gently wipe their tears. Will you let Him wipe yours?
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Rev. Charles Eldredge is a member of Maitland Church of the Brethren. He has a Facebook page and can be contacted by email: ce1133 @verizon.net.