Tears + More “Tears”
Tears.
Tears. They can mean so many things. They encompass so many emotions. I have had many moments in this life where I had no words, only tears. I have come to see that tears truly are a language all their own. Tears of joy, while holding a new baby. Tears of grief, while at the casket of a loved one. Tears of anger. Tears of regret. Tears of love, when you look at those nearest and dearest or stand in adoration in the presence of a great God. Tears of questioning when there just aren’t words for the questions. Tears of sorrow. Tears produced by pressure. Tears of surrender. Tears of Godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Tears of gratitude, as you survey the landscape of your life and realize the goodness of God and his manifold blessings. Tears of awe, as you soak in the majesty of creation. Tears of pain. Tears of hurt, when it’s so deep, you’d have no descriptors in your human vocabulary.
Truly tears are a language. They are a language spoken by humanity and understood by God. In the moments where the only ‘words’ available come in the form of tears, when I don’t even understand what they mean, He does. He knows the combination of emotion and heartache represented in each drop. David wrote in Psalm 56:8: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
Matthew Henry says of this verse: “God has a bottle and a book for His people’s tears, both those for their sins and those for their afflictions. The tears of God’s people are bottled and sealed up among God’s treasures…God will comfort His people according to the time where He has afflicted them and give to those to reap in joy who sowed in tears. What was sown a tear will come up a pearl.” (Matthew Henry)
He bottles the language of tears. Each tear is collected in His treasury. He not only understands each drop as it streams down a cheek; He cherishes it. Each tear is precious to Him. Each drop a treasure. A jewel.
I find it interesting that in the Bible, chronologically, there is only one mention of tears (Job 16:20) prior to David. David, who was “a man after God’s own heart” uses the word seven times. Maybe this was another reason he was given this title? Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” (Isaiah 53:3) and Hebrews 5:7 says of Him: “While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears…” Maybe this is yet another factor in why Jesus identified so deeply with David. They were both men of sorrow; men who were not afraid to shed tears. Men who were not afraid to speak the language of a broken soul.
I believe tears are precious to God not simply because He understands them, but also because He ALONE understands them. No friend, no spouse, no psychologist or psychiatrist could comprehend what is encapsulated in one solitary tear. He alone understands. This makes a very special bond between the one speaking the language of tears and the One interpreting it. He understands all that is contained in that tear.
I also believe that tears are precious to God, because they are an admission of weakness, brokenness, and dependence. Tears, in most cases, require humility. Many choose to never, or very rarely, speak the language of tears, for with it, there is vulnerability. I heard someone say, “I never let myself cry, because I was afraid that if I started, I’d never stop.” Many live there. Masking over emotion with layer after layer of things and stuff and busyness. To speak the language of tears requires openness with myself, God, and those closest to me. It sometimes requires probing the depths, but it’s always easier to stay in the shallows. When an individual allows God to probe the depths of their soul, it is a rare and precious gift to Him, and will, undoubtedly require becoming fluent in tears. Each tear is a physical representation of deep brokenness and open vulnerability. Each tear becomes a liquid magnet. A silent prayer. An invitation for His strength to manifest in human weakness. And this, too, makes them a precious commodity.
Obviously, Tears can represent tantrums, selfishness, self-pity, and so many other things, and I’m not saying to walk through each day weeping at work, and school, and play. I am simply saying, the God who created tears, understands them and values them. I am saying to find a quiet place with Him and speak the language He alone will understand. Pour out your tears. Pour out your heart. To borrow words of a fellow ‘tear-speaker,’ David: “I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed before Him my trouble.” (Psalm 142:2) Don’t be afraid to speak the language of tears, for as they fall, your heart will connect with His. He understands exactly what your soul is saying.
Recommended Listening:
“Try Tears” by Pastor Joseph Hanthorn: http://clcwi.com/media/yf9jcxw/try-tears