Revelation 21:4

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

When I read passages like this, I really get homesick for heaven.  The thought that everything that causes us pain here will be passed away is beyond our comprehension.  All of us experience pain.  Pain is of different types — physical, emotional, spiritual, to mention a few.  Pain will end!

Our tolerance to pain is interesting to observe.  It is always more interesting to observe pain in others than it is in ourselves!  (I am very profound in these things, right?)

Many years ago I was volunteering to work on remodeling a church. There was a young man in his twenties who was also part of the work detail. Suddenly we heard this young man scream in obvious pain and rushed in to see if he may be fatally wounded. We discovered him holding his finger and dancing around in circles as he continued his loud screams. It was only a small sliver. We were not too sympathetic and gave an impromptu mimicry of his display.  He was indignant and protested that there was even blood.  We were not impressed!

In contrast I recall traveling with our high school football team the year after I graduated. I was standing on the sidelines when one of our players was tackled just a few feet from me. We were all cheering for him when I heard him softly mutter; ”Rats, I just broke my arm!”  It was so casual that we thought he might be teasing.  We were wrong and he was right — it was broken!

What a difference in the manner in which people perceive the pain they experience.  Pinprick-sized cuts can hurt and broken bones can hurt, and family conflicts can hurt, and being unappreciated can hurt, and being falsely accused can hurt, and being ill can hurt — we could go on for a long time.  The bottom line is that pain is a reality of life.

Praise God, there is a light at the end of our tunnel of pain!  Athletes, as well as others, are sometimes forced to work through their pain for the good of the desired objective.  They know that the goal is worth the agony.  We would do well to learn that lesson ourselves.  But there is a time coming when pain will disappear! 

 I love the book of Revelation.  It gives meaning and direction to everything else in Scripture.  I heard of a noted Bible scholar who had been teaching an in-depth study of Revelation.  An older man in the class came up to him following one of the last classes and said he could sum up the Book of Revelation in two words.  The scholar scoffed until the old man said, “Jesus Wins!”

As long as we are alive we are almost certainly going to encounter pain.  We have a choice of allowing the pain to become the focus of our attention, or to endure the pain in order to accomplish what Christ calls us to do for Him.

The hope and vision that propels us is that our pain will end.  The Apostle Paul has already said it better than I could ever phrase it:  2 Corinthians 4:17-18 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!      

- – - Pastor Cecil