Let’s be honest. None of us like to cry, especially not in front of other people. It is a very vulnerable experience, and often when we cry, we prefer to hide ourselves. Sometimes, though, we are in a position where our tears cannot be hidden from others.
The Bible says quite a bit about tears and weeping. David speaks of his tears several times in the Psalms. Psalm 6:6 says, I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Sometimes David could not sleep at night because of his tears. I think we all have been there at some point.
We are to be mindful of the tears of others.
In II Timothy 1:4, Paul mentions being mindful of Timothy’s tears. We ought to consider the tears that others shed. Perhaps our lives are going well at the moment. We should still be aware that others may be struggling. We may not have a solution to their problems, but we can always be kind and considerate. Romans 12:15 says to weep with them that weep. It would probably do us good to let our hearts break for someone else’s pain and share some tears with them.
Our tears matter to God.
Even when we manage to hide tears from others, God sees and hears. As previously mentioned, David could not sleep because his tears, but a few verses later in Psalm 6:8 he says, …for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. Not only does God see and hear our crying, but he also takes note. Psalm 56:8 says, Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? The Bible makes it clear that God notices our tears and keeps a record.
Our tears will not last forever.
The second part of Psalm 30:5 tells us that …weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. The “night” we are struggling through will eventually give way to morning. The tears will stop, and we will find our joy once more. For many of us, this will happen in time while we still live here on earth. However, should our tears last an entire lifetime, as Christians we have an absolute guarantee that our tears will be wiped away in Heaven. Revelation 21:4 says, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
I want to share the words to a song our pastor’s wife sang in church many times when I was a child.
Tears Are a Language God Understands
Often you wonder why tears come into your eyes,
And burdens seem to be much more than you can stand,
But God is standing near; He sees your falling tears.
Tears are a language God understands.
When grief has left you low, it causes tears to flow,
And things have not turned out the way that you had planned,
But God won’t forget you; His promises are true.
Tears are a language God understands.
God sees the tears of a broken-hearted soul.
He sees your tears and hears them when they fall.
God weeps along with man and takes him by the hand.
Tears are a language God understands.
– Gordon Jensen
One day, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, and no more pain. Praise the Lord for this promise! In the meanwhile, we can know that God sees and hears our weeping, and He understands better than anyone else.
by Amber Slimp
