Lenten Reflection #35:When Children Cry

I don't handle my children crying very well.  I refused to be a parent that would let my children cry themselves to sleep.  My heart hurt to hear them cry.  When they would fall and skin a knee or bump their head.  I would wipe away the tears not just to dry their face but I can't hardly bear to see them cry. I want to comfort them and help them over their pain.  I want to wipe away their tears.  My kids are 16, 15, 11 and 6 and I still can't handle seeing any of them cry.

The Bible tells us that God is one who wipes the tears of his children.  He hurts with us and he hurts when we are hurt.  Isaiah 25:8 says,

"he will swallow up death forever.  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces: he will remove his people's disgrace from all the earth.  The Lord has spoken."

God could not bear to see us swallowed up by death and separated from him forever.  So he swallows up sin. And when we are hurt and crying he wipes our tears.  It seems that he too does not like to sit by and see his children cry.  When we fall He is there to wipe are tears, to help us up and mend our wounds.

In the final days of Jesus earthly ministry He reveals how far he will go to restore us into relationship with Him. He shows us what he is willing to do for his kids so that we can be with Him forever.  He shows us how much he loves us as He swallows up death and sin on Good Friday and He makes all things new on Easter morning.

Rejoice for God, Our Heavenly Father, is with us and he will wipe the tears from our faces.

In Christ's love and mine,
Doug