Have you ever wept until you could weep no more? The female members of the population might freely admit this reaction to tragedy, disappointment, or depression. In 1 Samuel 30, we see men whose wives and children were kidnapped reacting in this same way. The grown men, brave warriors, wept with abandonment. This world, imperfect and filled with sin and sorrow, will always be a place of emotional ups and downs. There will be many opportunities for disappointment. That’s just the nature of the world. Remember, Satan is the God of this world.
In Isaiah 38:5 the Lord tells Hezekiah, who has prayed for healing, that He has seen his tears and will add fifteen years to his life. In John 11:33, Jesus saw Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, weeping and was “deeply moved.” There is no shame in crying before the Lord. In fact, God reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:4 that there is “a time to weep.”
The Jewish people have a sense of the importance of our tears before the Lord. The Western Wall of Prayer in the Old City of Jerusalem is also called the Wailing Wall. Many tears have been shed at this and other places of prayer.
Weeping before the Lord is not our constant activity, but it is a type of seed sowing that God says will be rewarded with joy (Psalm 126:5)! He also promises that someday, “He will wipe away every tear… (Rev. 21:4)”
As we have been told in scripture, God collects our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8.) They are precious to Him. He is not oblivious to our emotions and feelings. He knows. He cares. He hears. He sees. He helps.
By: Nan Robertson
~ Christ Fellowship