Tears

Tears, who hasn’t experienced them. Oh, I know, our culture says that the strong don’t cry. In reality the opposite is true. If I can’t cry in front of you, it means I’ve surrendered my emotions to your control. What I perceive to be your opinion will dominate my response. So, that makes me weak, not strong. Ancient Greek warriors would go down to the beach and weep and wail like babies. No one controlled their emotions. Crying was a sign of great strength. Unfortunately our culture has flipped that truth on its head and seeks to make wimps out of all of us. Very sad. 

No one was stronger than Jesus, and as Scripture tells us in John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” But listen, tears are not only a sign of strength, tears carry meaning. Each tear that rolls down our cheek carries with it a portion of our pain, our hopes and our dreams. If tears had speakers, they would verbally amplify all the thoughts and emotions stirring in our hearts. Tears are visible evidence of an invisible dynamic occurring within us.

In Psalm 56:8 David said to God:

“Record my misery;

    list my tears on your scroll —

    are they not in your record?

David is referencing what were known as “lachrymatories,” or tear bottles. When someone died or people were grieving, they would collect their tears in vials known as lachrymatories. I like the way the NIV states this. It’s as if each tear were a messenger carrying the innermost angst of David to the throne if God…and David wanted to be sure that God recorded the messages and understood the depth of his pain.

Maybe there have been times you’ve felt crushed inside and desperately wished that God were recording your every tear. You want the King of Kings to know you are acquainted with sorrow, and He knows. In fact, He knows agony better than all of us. As Isaiah 53:4 says:

“Surely he took up our pain

    and bore our suffering…”

This old song says it well and reminds us of the value of our tears.

“You said you'd come and share all my sorrows

You said you'd be there for all my tomorrows

I came so close from sending you away

But just like you promised

You came here to stay

I just had to pray

And Jesus said "come to the water

Stand by my side

I know you are thirsty

You wont be denied

I felt every teardrop

When in darkness you cried

And i strive to remind you

For those tears I died...”

No one knows your pain better or can heal you better than Jesus. Let your tears cry out to Him.