Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
The Tears of a Christian
Today's Verse:
I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. ~Psalm 119:145
I remember being easily moved to tears as a very young boy. I would cry if fear took hold of me. I cried when something tragic happened. I cried if I was reprimanded. I cried if something embarrassing happened to me. I think hardly a day went by where I did not shed a tear here and there. As we mature and get older, we realize that life is filled with hardships and heartaches. Many of these heartaches push us to a breaking point where we just fall apart and start to cry. Psalm 119:145-152 is the testimony of a believer who was enduring a very difficult time because of people who were giving him trouble. This section is a prayer. It is the prayer of a believer who is pouring his heart out to the Lord. This morning, we see the tears of a Christian.
We see a Christian in despair.
“I cried with my whole heart... I cried unto thee... I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried... Mine eyes prevent the night watches.” Crying and tears are a mechanism that God made within us that allows for the release of bottled-up anxieties, hurt, and sorrow. This believer was in a state of despair. His thoughts could not get him past that moment. His fears got the worst of him. He imagined he was at the end of his rope. When tears flow, we are at a breaking point. We shed tears when a loved one passes away. We shed tears when someone close is far from where they should be. We shed tears for those whose safety and well-being we are concerned about. We shed tears for loved ones who are not saved and are putting off the matter of salvation. We will have moments of despair.
We see a Christian who is desperate.
“Hear me, O LORD... Save me... They draw nigh that follow after mischief.” He could feel the presence of the enemy drawing close. When Israel came to the shores of the Red Sea, they could hear the Egyptian army drawing closer to them. God came down in a pillar of cloud that served as a wall between Israel and Egypt. Even though the wall was present, the sounds of the Egyptians created panic in the hearts of the Israelites. When we are desperate, we probably pray some of our shortest and best prayers. When we are desperate, we are more attentive to our need for God in our life than at any other time.
We see a Christian and his decision.
When you are in despair and are desperate, what are you hoping in? Tears of desperation produced an inner conviction. It was at that critical moment that the psalmist made an important decision about the preeminence of God’s Word in his life. “I will keep thy statutes... I shall keep thy testimonies... I hoped in thy word... that I might meditate in thy word... Quicken me according to thy judgment.” He thought of God’s promises. However, he also thought about the fact that God was testing his obedience and faithfulness. Are you going to quit or have faith in God? Are you going to throw in the towel or obey God? This believer dug his feet deeply into the ground and declared that he would remain faithful and obedient. When things get dark and difficult, determine to keep obeying God
We see a Christian and his discovery.
The enemy was near, but God was nearer. “Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.” His tears opened his eyes to how God’s Word does not fail. His tears opened his eyes to the infallibility of God’s Word. He realized God would not let anything come between him and his love for God. If you are going through a time where the tears are flowing from your eyes, realize God's closeness to you.
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” God hears your voice and sees your tears. In fact, God records our tears in his book (Psalm 56:8). He told Hezekiah, “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears.” In your crying, keep clinging tightly to the Lord!
Have a comforted God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Proverbs 27-29
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