Psalm 56:8, NLT You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in
your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
I read a beautiful devotional this morning and I just cannot walk away
without sharing it with you. It touched me personally and intimately.
I confess I’m a crier. I cry at
movies, at baseball games when the national anthem is played, at graduations, weddings,
and funerals. I cry when I hear a sad story, when someone else cries,
when I share what God has done in my life, when I’m angry, and even when I
laugh hard enough.
I hate the fact that I cry so easily.
It can be incredibly embarrassing for one thing. And for another, it puts
people in an awkward position. But crying can be a good thing! God
created tears – it is in His design that we cry.
I love the Psalms because they give us beautiful pictures
of what our intimate relationship with God is like. And Psalm 56:8 (NLT)
gives us one of those snapshots of God’s tenderness with us when we are
experiencing incredible sorrow in our life.
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all
my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” (I’m
sure I have a very BIG bottle!)
God not only keeps track of all our sorrows, hurts and
heartaches, He has recorded them in His book. Every tear we’ve cried He has
stored in our bottle, the one He keeps just for us.
I wonder if my bottle has my name on it? Is it a
special color? I wonder if God, my Father looks at my bottle full of
tears and says, “Ah, that one is my daughter, Kristi’s! Her bottle of tears is
so precious to me and I treasure each one. I am intimately acquainted with all
her ways and I love her. When she has cried tears that no one sees, I
have seen, I know and cherish each one because I cherish her.”
What a beautiful gentle picture this is of our God – a
Father who tenderly collects our tears and holds them close to His heart.
Have you ever stopped to consider that God is keeping track
of all your sorrows? He knows each one of
them. He has seen you cry until you can’t cry any more. He has
witnessed your heartache over a difficult child, a wayward spouse, a broken
friendship, or the death of a loved one. He has seen your tears when you
have cried all alone in the dark, not sure of where to turn or where to
go. He has recorded each one in His book and collected your tears in the
bottle He has just for you. How precious you are to Him!
Let the tears flow and know that your God cares for you
intimately and with great passion!Father, Thank you for seeing my tears and
for the promise that I am never alone in my sorrow. Amen.
And with those
beautiful, inspiring words and thoughts, I leave you for this week. I hope your
weekend is bursting with love, hope, peace, mercy and grace. If you do have tears,
remember our Lord sees every one and is there for you.
