You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalms 56: 8 NLT)
In times of our greatest need, God can appear to be distant. But he is always there. He is taking note of our sufferings, collecting our tears in his divine receptacle, and recording the events in his eternal ledger.
David penned this Psalm when the Philistines had seized him at Gath. They attacked him all day and slandered him in their bold attacks. His enemies constantly twisted his words in their evil plots to harm him. In life’s twists and turns, we can often feel overwhelmed with fear from the fierce attacks of the enemy of our souls. According to David’s example, it’s okay to be afraid as long as it leads us toward God and not away. “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you” (v. 3).
David was a man who always seemed to be able to use his trials to make him better rather than bitter. Why? He believed that a loving God was always with him. As verse 8 describes, God took note of his sorrows, not as a disinterested observer, but as an empathetic and involved participant. He knew God as one who would never leave him or forsake him.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, listen closely when life’s circumstances bring you to tears. You may almost hear the sound of a loving God weeping with you. Gaze on his Word; in your mind’s eye, you will see the tear-stained bottle and book God placed on heaven’s bookshelf. God not only sees but cares, and he never, ever forgets.
The image is used with permission from Microsoft.
Ken Barnes is the author of “Broken Vessels,” published in February 2021, and “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” published by YWAM Publishing in 2011.
Ken’s Website— https://kenbarnes.us/
Ken blogs at https://kenbarnes.us/blog/
Email- [email protected]
