Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT). These are beautiful words written by David when he was undergoing a dark time in his life.
When David wrote this Psalm, he was captured by the Philistines in Gath. If David wrote these words while he was in distress, does it mean he was just using poetic language, or does God really collect and keep our tears in a literal bottle?
Tears Falling as a Waterfall
“I move slow and steady/But I feel like a waterfall” (Of Monsters and Men, “Slow and Steady”). Many of us can relate to these words that Of Monsters and Men have beautifully turned into a song. Sometimes our pain, sadness, and grief are too much to bear, and we just need to cry.
We try to move slowly and steadily, but we feel like we could erupt in tears that could manifest into a waterfall. All of these tears that we cry throughout the struggles, traumas, and difficulties of life are kept in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).
The concept of God keeping David’s tears in a bottle comes from the ancient practice of lachrymatories as “there is an allusion here to the custom of collecting tears shed in a time of calamity and sorrow, and preserving them in a small bottle or ‘lachrymatory,’ as a memorial of the grief.”
When David says that God is keeping his tears in a bottle, David is referring to the fact that God remembers all of our sorrows, pains, and griefs. God remembers every single tear that we shed, and He will never forget the great amount of tears that have streamed down our faces.
While God doesn’t have a literal bottle filled with our tears, He does remember every tear that falls from our eyes. From the tears that we shed when we are stressed to the waterfall of tears that comes with the passing of a loved one, God remembers them all.
Just as God collected and remembers David’s tears, so does God remember all of our tears. David trusts that God is for Him and that God will not allow his enemies to overtake him. In his writing in Psalm 56:8, he is reflecting on God’s promises and His faithfulness.
In the same way, we as Christians, need to reflect, recall, and remember that God sees all of our pain and it is never for nothing.
Collecting Our Tears
Anytime we cry, God sees it. It is not as if God sees our pain and then forgets all about it. Instead, God sees our tears and remembers them. Every tear that falls from our eyes He remembers. The Lord knows what it feels like to feel sorrow, pain, and grief.
When Jesus’ dear friend, Lazarus died, He wept (John 11:35). Many people have the erroneous belief that God does not feel pain and that He never cries. This is not true at all because God knows what it is like to be sad, sorrowful, and in pain.
Jesus experienced great pain and sorrow while He died on the cross for the sins of the world. When God first created mankind and mankind rebelled, God would have felt a great degree of sorrow, pain, and hurt.
Each time we sin, we hurt God. Even though we may rationalize that our sin only affects us, it is not true. Sins go against God, and they hurt Him. They make Him feel sorrowful and pained.
As Christians, we should do our best to not bring pain upon God because He has done so much for us. God knows what it is like to feel sorrowful, which is why He wants us to come and place our worries at His feet. All of our tears are remembered by Him, and they are never forgotten.
Our Future Tears
In the future, every tear of ours will be wiped away by God. Revelation 21:4 tells us, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” In the New Heaven and New Earth, there will be no more crying, pain, or death.
There will only be happiness, joy, and love. Each time we cry, we need to remember this vital truth. Even if we find ourselves in difficult seasons throughout our lives, we can trust in the knowledge that God sees our pain and it will not endure forever.
If you are going through a difficult time today, rest in the knowledge that God sees your pain. He knows the pain, sorrow, and depression you feel. He is storing them up in His memory and He will never fail to recall your grief. Look forward to the day where there will be no more pain.
Sometimes it’s hard to look to the future with a hopeful spirit when everything around you is falling to pieces, but that is where faith comes in. The Bible defines faith for us in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Even if we don’t see everything coming into place in our present day, we can look to the future with hope. All of our tears are being collected by God and He will not forget them. Other people in our lives may forget our pains and sorrows; however, God remembers them all and He keeps them in His memory forever.
When David wrote eloquently that God collected all of his tears in a bottle, it means that God cares about each individual tear we cry, and He remembers the pain that causes our tears.
Unlike people in the world, God will never cast us to the side or look at us as being inferior for crying, rather He takes us up in His arms and He holds us close.
Not long in the future, He will wipe each tear away and we will no longer have pain. Therefore, just like David, God remembers all of our pains, sorrows, and tears.
Each time we cry, God sees us, and He knows our pain. It’s good to cry because crying can help us regulate our feelings and emotions. God designed us in this way, in which when we cry, we can start feeling better.
Don’t be afraid to cry because it’s good to get those feelings out. There is nothing “weak” about expressing your true emotions. The next time you cry, remember the truth that God is collecting every tear and He is keeping it right beside Him forever.
He will never forget your pain, grief, or sorrow. The Lord will always collect our tears in His bottle and His bottle will never be broken. We can trust that God will always comfort us with His love and provide us with lasting peace.
No matter what sorrow you are experiencing today, God will take each tear and remember it for eternity. The pain, sorrow, and depression you are feeling are real and God wants you to come to Him with these feelings.
When we are honest and raw with God, that is where true healing can begin. Thus, do not be afraid to cry because God is keeping them all in His bottle. He loves each person unconditionally and uniquely. Every one of His children has a special place in His heart.
For further reading:
What Is the Meaning and Significance of 'Jesus Wept'?
Why Are We Promised That God ‘Will Wipe Away Every Tear’?
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