Sometimes you just want to cry.
Maybe you found out you or a loved one has a serious medical issue, or a loved one or a friend you were close with died, or you’re having problems with a co-worker, or your car breaks down. Perhaps you lost your phone or wallet, things are not going well with your family, you lost your job, and the list goes on…
Or maybe you just break out in tears hearing about a random act of violence – a senseless killing or murder. Seemingly, we live in an increasing evil world, filled with much lawlessness, corruption and hatred.
There are all kinds of problems and struggles we encounter during the course of our lives that can cause us to shed a tear or two, or much more.
Our tears do not go unnoticed, however. God sees every one of them.
As an example, consider king Hezekiah when he was close to death:
“In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’ ”
Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.” ’ ” (2 Kings 20: 1-6)
Notice the Lord says, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.” He not only healed him, but extended his life by fifteen years.
Psalm 56 contains these words:
“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” (Psalm 56:8-11)
Alexander MacLaren’s commentary on Psalm 56, as referenced in blueletterbible.com, states:
What a lovely figure is that of God’s treasuring up His servants’ tears (verse 8) in His “bottle,” the skin in which liquids were kept! What does He keep them for? To show how precious they are in His sight, and perhaps to suggest that they are preserved for a future use. The tears that His children shed and give to Him to keep cannot be tears of rebellious or unmeasured weeping, and will be given back one day to those who shed them, converted into refreshment, by the same Power which of old turned water into wine.”
“Think not thou canst weep a tear,
And the Maker is not near.”
That verse in Psalm 30 reminds me of Revelation 21:
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)
Notice that, there will come a time that God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain.
And so, beloved, know that your tears are seen by God and “kept in a bottle” to be converted to “joy” in the future.
“Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b)