Daily Excerpt: God Speaks into Darkness (Easterling): Your Tears Matter in Heaven
Excerpt from God Speaks into Darkness
Your Tears Matter in Heaven
Inspired by Psalm 126
My wife Dot keeps in her Bible a gold-embossed bookmark
with these words, “All the beauty in the
world is in your smile.” As we do
our daily devotions, I like to pull that little reminder out and show it to
her. It always brings the response I’m looking for—her wonderful warm and
loving smile.
The only thing that moves me more is her tears. It breaks
my heart to see her cry—all the more so if I have caused it by some thoughtless
word. Can you relate to this? Those you love are the very ones who can wound you
the deepest—and you can do the same to them. In a word, tears of those we love
matter. Likewise, we break God’s tender heart when we ignore or reject him:
“High on the windswept mountains, I hear voices crying,
crying. It is my children who have turned their backs on me. They have wandered
far away and become lost. They are disoriented and destitute. O my rebellious
children, come back to me and I will forgive your sins. Only acknowledge your
guilt; admit that you have failed to follow me. O sinful children come home.
And they replied, ‘Yes, Father, we will come back, for you are the Lord our
God.’” (Jeremiah 3:21-22)
Dear one, God has spoken; your tears matter in heaven. When the Jews were enslaved in
Egypt, being beaten and abused by cruel taskmasters, they cried out for mercy.
Pharaoh hardened his heart so his ears were shut tight, but Jehovah heard those
tortured cries and sent Moses to rescue them.
When Rachel was weeping for her children, slaughtered by
heartless King Herod, God saw their tears and comforted them.
Christ was a man of tears. At Lazarus’ tomb, he was deeply
troubled by the crushing grief that death brings. Jesus wept. His Father heard
his agonized praying, saw his tears, and gave him the power to call his friend
back to life. When he looked out over Jerusalem, the Holy City that had
rejected him, he wept because they refused to turn back to God, and Jesus was
grieved knowing they would suffer the tragic consequences. In Gethsemane, the
Lamb of God prayed in anguish and his sweat was like great drops of blood
before his crucifixion. On Easter morning, the Holy Spirit gave him the power
to defeat death.
In Psalm 126, God has restored his people from
exile. Yet, still heartbroken and bruised, they begin replanting their lost
crops, weeping as they go. God refreshes their hearts with this glorious
promise:
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. Yes, you go out
weeping, carrying seed to sow, but one day you will return singing, bringing in
your harvest.”
Moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers weeping for their
wayward children have been encouraged for centuries with the thought that one
day their prayers will be answered, and they will come joyfully bringing those
lost loved ones back to God.
What is weighing you down? Fear, uncertainty, sickness,
sorrow? Maybe one you deeply love has
walked away from God, becoming trapped in sin? Does it comfort you to know that
God sees your tears and hears your weeping—that he stores your tears in a
bottle?
Jesus, once a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, is
now at the Father’s side interceding for you. Your tears break through the
heavens and touch his heart. Yes, your High Priest feels your pain. Your tears
may fall unheeded in this world but not in the world beyond.
Thank you, Abba Father
that you care so tenderly for us— that not a single tear escapes your notice.
For more posts about Bennett Easterling and his books, click HERE.
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