“They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; 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. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Devotion based on Revelation 7:15-17

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beth started crying. It really wasn’t that big of a deal—her brother teased her a lot—but today, that tiny tease was just too much. She had woken up late, left her lunch at home, forgot her math homework, and even tripped while playing basketball in gym class. It had been a really bad day, and Beth felt like she just couldn’t take one more thing going wrong.

But thankfully, Beth had someone she could go to for comfort. No matter how rough the day was, Beth knew her mom would be there. Her mom gave her a big hug, handed her a tissue, and told her that tomorrow would probably be way better.

It feels so good to have someone who helps you feel better when you’re sad. Your mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, aunt or uncle, or big brother or sister—they’re special because they care about you and try to help when you’re hurting. But here’s the thing: they’re not perfect. They can’t stop every bad thing from happening. Because we live in a world full of sin, there will still be times when you get hurt, feel sad, or even cry.

That’s why the picture from today’s Bible reading is so amazing. In the book of Revelation, John gets a special peek into heaven. What he sees is a huge crowd—so many people he couldn’t even count them all! They’re standing in front of God’s throne, worshiping him.

John asks who they are, and he gets a beautiful answer. These are the people who went through hard times on earth because they trusted in God. But now? They’re safe. They’re happy. They’re with Jesus. They’ll never be hungry or thirsty again. They won’t get sunburned or tired. Jesus will be their shepherd, leading them to fresh, cool water. And best of all? God will wipe away every single tear from their eyes.

One day, you will be there too. One day, you’ll get to stand in heaven with all of God’s people, and nothing bad will ever happen again. No more pain. No more crying. Just perfect joy with Jesus!

Until that day, it’s okay to cry sometimes and go to someone you love for comfort. But remember, you can always go to God, too! He loves you so much—and one day, he’ll wipe away every one of your tears for good.

Dear God, sometimes the world feels really hard. Thank you for the promise of heaven, where everything will be perfect and happy. Help me to always remember that you love me and are with me, even on my worst days. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above