God Will Wipe Away Every Tear
Today’s Verse:
Psalm 34:18 ESV
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
On this Memorial Day, our hearts are drawn to remembrance. We think of brave men and women who laid down their lives in service to our country—soldiers who stood in harm’s way so that others could live in freedom. We honor their sacrifice. But more than that, we turn to the One who gives comfort and hope in the face of grief.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us of a profound truth: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” For grieving families, veterans who carry unseen burdens, and communities mourning deep loss, this nearness is not symbolic—it is real. God’s presence does not remove sorrow, but He enters into it with us. In Christ Jesus, who knew sorrow and grief (Isaiah 53:3), we find a Savior who does not stand far off but walks with the wounded.
Today, we grieve—but not as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We believe in the resurrection. We confess that Christ’s victory over sin and death means that even in loss, life has the final word. Memorial Day reminds us of temporal courage and sacrifice, but it also points us toward eternal hope—the promise that one day, God “will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4).
As Lutherans, we cling to the Word and Sacraments, where Christ comes to us with forgiveness and comfort. And as we remember those who gave their lives, we entrust them into the hands of the God who gave His own Son to die for the world.
.Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord of mercy and might, we thank You for the brave souls who gave their lives in service to our nation. Be near today to all who grieve. Let Your Word be a balm to the brokenhearted and Your Gospel a sure hope to the crushed in spirit. Keep us in faith, and bring us all to the day when war and sorrow shall be no more. In Jesus name, Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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