My Dear Shepherds,

Jesus Christ, God’s resurrected Servant, cries to captives, “Come out!” and to those in darkness, “Be free!” We arise from dark dungeons of death, reborn, beloved and adopted, new citizens of the kingdom of God, and begin our heaven-bound procession. From among those happy captives, Christ enlisted Wordworkers to help lead them through the wilderness of this world, “a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

Our wilderness journey together mirrors the “wanderings” of the Israelites except that what God provided them is ours richly now in Christ, foretastes of the Land of Promises awaiting us. He is our living manna, our water from the rock now, but a feast of rich foods–the best of meats and finest of wines awaits us. He’s our guide and guardian now, but we still must endure wearisome wilderness heat and fearsome enemies and battles. He has absorbed the sting and victory of death now, but we still shed tears—so many tears.

One of our pastoral privileges is to make God’s people homesick, to lift their chins and to help them envision the day when we leave the wilderness behind forever. Then, gathered with all the saints in bridal white, we will serve God forever in his temple. And God will serve us!

. . . and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. (Rev. 7:15b–16)

God certainly shelters us now, yet we often feel so vulnerable. We tell our people again and again, “fear not,” and to trust our loving God. We draw our flock under the sheltering wings of the Almighty with songs, Scripture, prayer, and fellowship. But on that day, “over everything there will be a canopy . . . a shelter and shade . . . a refuge and hiding place.” Then faith will no longer be necessary because God will dwell among us, and we shall see Jesus as he is!

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ (v.17)

Now we rely on the Lord to guide us with his rod and staff lest we wander off from righteous paths in this trackless wilderness. Our souls rest in oases of green pastures and still waters but our desert journey must always resume. But then our Lamb-Shepherd will make certain we never know even one parched hour in all our endless years. In the garden-like New Jerusalem life runs in the river and grows on that tree not seen since Eden.

Moses told Israel that God led them in the wilderness “to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart” and “to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Finally, those tests will be finished once and for all. Our journey will be over, and every promise fulfilled!

On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 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. (Is. 25:7–8)

Every shred of mortality will be gone. No more death, disgrace, pain, regret or shame; not so much as a sad sigh. We do not know when we will shed our last tear, but this we do know: there will be a last!

Be ye glad!

Lee Eclov recently retired after 40 years of local pastoral ministry and now focuses on ministry among pastors. He writes a weekly devotional for preachers on Preaching Today.