Psalm 56:9 “You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?”

GOD IS CRYING

I had to look up some scholars’ thoughts on this verse.  What does “tears in Your bottle” mean?  It was an ancient practice for people to take small bottles made of glass or pottery and catch tears they shed due to the loss of a loved one.  They would then place those bottles on the grave of that loved one.  The Psalmist here is saying God grieves for us when we are hurting.  He catches His tears in a bottle.  How precious!

Now, I don’t know if God really does that or not.  We know Jesus wept twice – once over Jerusalem and another time at the grave of Lazarus.  So, we know God weeps, but does He put His tears in a bottle?  We just don’t know. I can imagine, though, if He does that He must have a huge room of tear bottles.  And one of those bottles has your name on it.

TEACHING MOMENT

I believe we must teach our children that it is okay to shed tears.  They need to know to is okay to cry.  As for me, I cry over every little thing.  I cried yesterday, as a matter of fact, as I was praying over a newborn.  Tears heal!  Tears can bring comfort.  Tears can bring us closer together.

Don’t you let your child feel bad for crying.  Tears shed for the right reason are good.  Your child should not use tears to manipulate, of course.  But crying is a natural, healthy thing.  Teach your children to know when it is right.  Sometimes it is hard to hold them back.  Let them flow.

Have you had a good cry lately?  That is usually not a problem for me.  COL (crying out loud).  Let yourself cry. Cry for the brokenness of the world. Cry for the injustice done to the unborn.  Cry for the lives lost due to persecution of the church.  Cry for our nation.  Keep your tear ducts clear.  I think I will get a quart jar for mine.