"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" (v. 8)
In her book, Emotional Freedom, New York Times best-selling author Judith Orloff talks about the health benefits of tears. According to this doctor, our bodies produce three kinds of tears: reflex, continuous, and emotional. And each of them has unique, healing benefits. In fact, the good doctor says, "I've been this enthusiastic about crying for years." So why would God do away with something that medicine has found to be so beneficial?
First, let’s thank God for tears, even the emotional kind that seem to be in mind in our text verse. Most of us have experienced times that, without tears, we would simply have exploded like an overfilled balloon. But let us also notice that the purpose for which God gave us tears is for healing. Tears will be wiped away in heaven because our healing will be complete. We will be whole.
If you need to cry today, please do so! Anyone who looks down on you for crying has a bigger problem than you do! But as you experience the healing effects of tears, take a moment to bask in the thought that someday those tears will not be needed. We will be home and whole! (Gordon Snider)

"What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul." Jewish Proverb
In heaven, we will need neither!

This devotional is the Tuesday, August 16, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.