Tears in a Bottle
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
“Prayer is the falling of a tear.” – C.H. Spurgeon
How many times in your life have you broken down in tears?
I remember bawling like a baby when our cat Mischief was hit by a car and killed when Deanna and I were relative newlyweds. I had never had a pet growing up except for a few goldfish and a hamster or two, so losing Mischief so tragically was a shock to my system. Having to put Forrest, our 14-year-old English beagle, to sleep earlier this year was even harder. I held Forrest in my arms as he took his last breath, fighting back tears, and then sobbed uncontrollably in the parking lot.
Obviously, I’ve also shed my share of tears over the passing of a loved one, but if they were a believer, the sorrow of parting on earth was tempered by the guarantee of being reunited in heaven. Temporary grief being replaced with eternal joy.
That being said, God doesn’t take our tears lightly. On the contrary, He knows all too well the heartbreaks of life on earth. After all, His Son experienced every trial and temptation that we do, magnified many times over. It’s no wonder that Isaiah described Him as “a Man of sorrows” who was “acquainted with grief.”
Here are some more words from Charles Spurgeon, known as the “Prince of Preachers,” on the subject of sorrow…
“Tears are the diamonds of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah’s court and are numbered with “the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high.” Do not think that your prayer, however weak or trembling, will be unregarded… But wherever there is a heart enlarged with sorrow or a lip quivering with agony or a deep groan or a penitential sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open… He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when at last the volume is opened, there will be a precious fragrance springing from it.”
“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 (NKJV)
“You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle—are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
