THE GOD WHO WIPES AWAY YEARS OF TEARS
By Rev. Samuel Arimoro
Main Text: Isaiah 25:8
Key Verse: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 25:8, KJV)
Supporting Texts: Psalm 30:5; Joel 2:25-26; Revelation 21:4; John 16:20; Ruth 1:20-21
INTRODUCTION
Life often brings seasons of tears that last far longer than expected. Many people carry silent grief, disappointment, loss, and unanswered prayers that span years. These tears may come from betrayal, delay, rejection, barrenness, failure, or deep wounds that words cannot express.
However, Scripture reveals a God who is not indifferent to human pain. He is a compassionate Father who sees every tear, records every cry, and remains actively involved in the affairs of His people. What men forget, God remembers. What seems permanent to man is temporary with God.
The God of the Bible does not merely comfort tears; He wipes them away. He has the power to terminate prolonged sorrow and replace it with joy, laughter, and restoration. When God steps into a life, years of tears can end in a moment of divine intervention.
1. GOD SEES AND REMEMBERS EVERY TEAR
God is deeply aware of every pain His children endure. No tear is wasted, ignored, or forgotten in His presence, even when it appears help is delayed.
a) God is attentive to human sorrow
The tears you shed in secret are fully visible before God, and none of them escape His attention (Psalm 56:8).
b) Delay does not mean denial
When God seems silent, He is often preparing a greater testimony that will silence shame permanently (John 11:5-6).
c) Tears are seeds for future joy
God turns seasons of weeping into platforms for rejoicing and celebration (Psalm 126:5-6).
d) God’s compassion is unfailing
His mercy reaches into the deepest pain and responds at the appointed time (Lamentations 3:31-33).
Biblical Example:
Hannah wept bitterly for years because of barrenness, yet God remembered her tears and turned her reproach into honour with the birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:10-20).
2. GOD HAS POWER TO END LONG SEASONS OF SORROW
What lasts for years can be terminated instantly when God intervenes. No sorrow is too old, and no situation is too complicated for God to change.
a) God specialises in sudden turnarounds
What looks permanent can change suddenly when God arises (Psalm 30:5).
b) Prolonged pain is not your final chapter
God’s agenda is restoration, not perpetual suffering (Jeremiah 29:11).
c) Divine joy replaces deep grief
God exchanges mourning garments for praise and gladness (Isaiah 61:3).
d) God’s timing brings lasting relief
When God ends sorrow, He does so completely and permanently (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Biblical Example:
Naomi experienced years of bitterness and loss, but God restored her joy and honour through Ruth and the birth of Obed, changing her story from emptiness to fullness (Ruth 4:14-17).
3. GOD RESTORES WHAT TEARS HAVE DESTROYED
Tears are often the result of losses, wasted years, and stolen opportunities. God not only ends sorrow; He restores what pain has consumed.
a) God restores wasted years
Seasons lost to sorrow, failure, or oppression can be divinely recovered (Joel 2:25).
b) Restoration brings satisfaction
God’s restoration is not partial; it satisfies and renews the soul (Joel 2:26).
c) God replaces shame with honour
Long-standing reproach gives way to double blessings by divine decree (Isaiah 61:7).
d) God’s restoration silences mockers
When God restores, testimonies silence ridicule and doubt (Zephaniah 3:19–20).
Biblical Example:
Job endured prolonged suffering and tears, yet God restored him with double blessings, proving that tears never have the final word (Job 42:10-12).
4. GOD TURNS TEARS INTO TESTIMONIES
Every tear has the potential to become a testimony when God intervenes. What caused pain becomes proof of God’s faithfulness and power.
a) Tears prepare the ground for glory
God often uses painful seasons to prepare believers for greater manifestations (Romans 8:18).
b) Pain produces spiritual maturity
Endurance through sorrow deepens faith and character (James 1:2–4).
c) God rewrites painful narratives
What once caused shame becomes a source of praise and testimony (John 16:20).
d) Testimonies glorify God publicly
God turns private tears into public praise that magnifies His name (Psalm 66:8-9).
Biblical Example:
The woman with the issue of blood suffered for twelve years, yet one encounter with Jesus turned her long season of tears into a lasting testimony of healing (Mark 5:25-34).
CONCLUSION
The God who wipes away years of tears is still active today. No matter how long the sorrow has lasted, God’s power to restore, heal, and transform remains unchanged. Tears may endure, but they are never permanent when God is involved.
As you trust God and remain steadfast in faith, expect divine intervention that will end sorrow and usher in joy. Your tears are about to become testimonies, and your mourning is turning into dancing by the hand of the living God.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, wipe away every long-standing tear in my life.
2. Lord, end every season of sorrow and disappointment.
3. Restore every year that pain and loss have stolen from me.
4. Turn my mourning into dancing by Your power.
5. Remove every reproach and shame from my life.
6. Let joy replace every area of bitterness and grief.
7. Arise, O God, and intervene in my prolonged challenges.
8. Let my tears become testimonies that glorify Your name.
9. Heal every hidden wound that has caused silent tears.
10. I receive divine restoration and lasting joy in Jesus’ name.
