HE Sees!
“You have seen me tossing and turning through the night.
You have collected all my tears
and preserved them in Your bottle!
You have recorded everyone in Your book.”
Psalm 56:8 LB
“ Thou tellest my wanderings:
Put thou my tears into thy bottle:
are they not in thy book?”
Psalms 56:8 KJV
HE’S seen and heard US:
Everywhere we’ve ever gone every step we’ve ever taken on our way and wanderings; times we felt trodden down by life, plagued by the enemy was not only observed but thought worthy of documentation in Heaven. The awful confusion (trial) is stifling after a long course of trouble, we hardly know where we have or have not been; but the omniscient and considerate Father of our spirits remembers all in detail. He has counted them over as men count their gold, for even the trial of our faith is precious in his sight. Every ton of waste and dross we went through the fire to purge He recorded;
“But he knoweth the way that I take:
when he hath tried me,
I shall come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10
Collecting tears:
The custom in old times was, when a person was ill or in great distress, for his friends to go to see him, and take with them a tear bottle. Then, as the tears rolled down the cheeks of the sufferer, they were caught in these bottles, sealed up, and preserved as a memorial of the event. This is what David referred to in Psalms 56:8.
According to some authorities, "lachrymatories" (or tear bottles) are still found in large numbers in ancient tombs. They were apparently used to collect the tears of the mourners at the graveside, and then stored away with the body.
You have collected all my tears and preserved them in Your bottle! You have recorded every single one of them in your book. Every grief, every sorrow, every anguish, every heartache, every time my heart was broken, all the long nights of tears, all my hopes deferred You saw and heard. This is such a sweet thought God remembers his people's affliction! All the tears that we shed "are" remembered by God – stored in a special place — not in a bottle but in His bottle. They are not just recorded as how many tears, but a record of all our anguish, grief and sorrow represented in them.
"My tears have been my meat day and night."
Psalms 42:3
Tears are a language understood in heaven. Oftentimes a poor broken-hearted person bends elbows to their knee, with no intelligible words uttered only groaning, deep sobs or wails in the language only heaven can understand; (Romans 8:26) however it has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God and treasured in the lachrymatory of heaven. 'Thou puttest my tears into thy bottle,' implies that they are caught as they flow and precious. The person beseeching in deepest humility, whose tears prevent their words, will be well understood by the Most High God. Tears are the jewels of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah's court, and are numbered with the most sublime strains that reach the majesty on high. Know that your prayer, however weak or trembling, will be regarded. Our God not only hears prayer but also loves to hear it ‘He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.' Psalm 9:12b
True, God doesn’t regard proud looks and lofty words; He’s not impressed with pomp and the pageantry of kings; He’s not impressed with impressive military bands and marches; or arrogance spewing great swelling words; but wherever there is a heart full of sorrow, or a lip quivering with agony, or deep groans, or a repentant sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open; He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose petals, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing up from His saints whose names are recorded there.
David’s Tears:
⦁ Psalm 6:6-7a; “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief.”
⦁ Psalm 39:12a; “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry.”
⦁ Psalm 42:3; “My tears have been my meat night and day, while they continually say unto me, - Where is thy God?”
⦁ Psalm 69:10, 13 -14a; “When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that was my reproach 14a) But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of they mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink:”
⦁ Psalm 116 (all)
⦁ All of David's travel’s, triumphs, failings, sorrows, grief however huge or relatively insignificant, were noted and remembered by God. We are not insignificant to God.
⦁ Matthew 10:29 -31; “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? (1/4th of a penny) And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
Jesus’ Tears:
⦁ John 11:35;”Jesus Wept.”
⦁ Luke 19:41; “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.”
⦁ Hebrews 5:7 - ; “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”
⦁ It was precious costly ointment Mary Magdalene anointed the feet of Jesus Christ with, but her tears, were worth much more.
“. . . Began to wash His feet with her tears. . . ” Luke 7:36:38
YOU’VE recorded my whole life: Are they not in thy book?
God has His own standards and they are not at all like ours. People look on the out word appearance but God looks on the heart, inside of us and there is so much more! God’s seen our lives, the good, the sad and yes the bad. All our secret struggles, and efforts to please God from the heart He’s so pleased with. All the agonizing tears that went with it He’s chronicled.
God’s recorded every deed of faith and love we’ve ever had and it’s held in everlasting remembrance. Every deed of righteousness is immortalized. Every temptation we resisted, every evil we overcame, every tender word of pity expressed, every act of sacrifice, every sorrow and suffering endured for Christ’s sake is faithfully chronicled.
The hard times when we let go of what we knew we couldn’t/shouldn’t hold on to and the many things we had to tell our self ‘no’ on. Our family and even close friends never knew the struggle of our heart as He does.
HE sees the humility and weakness of our soul in sincere repentance, and times when it was over just a thought that was evil. The many times we fought the enemy for our mind and took thoughts captive by His Word, He knew! He’s seen the times of our whole hearted devotion to his service. The many hours in prayer in hard battle and personal self battles and the battles that won the victories! All those things God and angels know and are in the Book of Remembrance. This relationship between us and God is very personal and distinct – He cares for us as if there was no one else to care for.
In the Book of Remembrances are all the good deeds of them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name, their words of faith their acts of love are registered in heaven.
“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another
and the LORD hearkened and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before him
for them that feared the LORD,
and that thought upon His name.
Malachi 3:16
Nehemiah referred to this when he said, “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices there of. Nehemiah 13:14.
David said it best:
"O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising;
thou understandest my thought afar off
Thou compasseth my path and my lying down
Thou art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue,
but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before
and laid thine hand upon me"
Psalm. 139:1-5
The saints of old knew it was a custom for Kings to have a book of records such as in the Book of Ester 6:1 “ On that night could not the king, sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles and they were read before the king.” We recall the good name of Mordecai was found and all his good deeds recorded there.
Grieving is a natural process:
It is God’s way for us to process our heart and soul, to allow our true painful emotions to feel the full weight of our circumstances especially if it is loss. Honest grief is God’s plan for our healing through it. This document was written to validate us all and to hopefully bring comfort in the truth that we are and never have been alone - God is in control, and to bring testimony of Biblical validation to us all who even now may be wracked with grief to the point of tears. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. (4a The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning . . .” Ecclesiastes 7:3-4a
The more we come into His presence with our petitions in prayer the more He is glorified. We show we are not ashamed to reach out publically and proclaim God is our only hope in this matter, please join us in prayer. If we lack faith, prayer for these burdens will increase our faith. Have you spent more time with Almighty God in prayer because of looming burdens?
The real test of our faith is if after long appeals God chooses not to answer us as we desire.
Can we glorify God in our deepest disappointment, reversals, tragedy, loss, unexpected crisis and the heartaches that happen to us? It’s God’s will and desire we do. (Isaiah 45:5-10; when dark times come God makes no apologies
And gives few explanations—and He takes responsibility for what is taking place.
The old hymn "It Is Well with My Soul" was written after several traumatic events in the life of Horatio Spafford. The first was the death of his only son in 1871 at the age of four. Shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago which was decimated by the great fire). His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873 at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone . . .!” Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)
The Spaffords later had three more children, one of whom (a son) died in infancy. In 1881 the Spaffords, including baby Bertha and newborn Grace, set sail for Israel. The Spaffords moved to Jerusalem and helped found a group called the American Colony; its mission was to serve the poor. The colony later became the subject of the Nobel prize winning Jerusalem, by Swedish novelist Selma Lagerlöf.
I know myself hard matters of faith face us all as Christians. Can we glorify God as He wishes us too in season and out of season, when things are good and when things are bad for us? It is the heart throb of God we worship Him and lift Him up in all circumstances and through this act of faith no matter the crisis, loss, agonizing wait, be sure this act of faith draws others to Him and the faith of saints is encouraged.
Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of lives have been influenced and blessed by the testimony of Horatio Spafford’s life, and the words he penned in “It is Well with My Soul.”
“You have seen me tossing and turning through the night.
You have collected all my tears
and preserved them in Your bottle!
You have recorded everyone in Your book.”
Psalm 56:8 LB
Be Blessed through Great Shalom
“Great Peace have those who love Your law;
And nothing causes them to stumble.”
Psalm 119:165
Doris Trainor
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