Psalm 56:8: You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?
Experiencing Jesus in the Psalms
“My tears have been put into thy bottle.” A note in The New Scofield Bible concerning this subject says, “Sometimes, in olden days in the East, mourners would catch their tears in bottles (water skins) and place them at the tombs of their loved ones”—to show how much they had grieved. Let me add to that something John Bunyan said, “God preserves our tears in a bottle, so that He can wipe them away.” When I read that, I wished I had cried more. We need to weep more. Matthew Henry said, “The tears of God’s persecuted people are bottled up, and sealed among God’s treasures.” 1
Living the Transformed Life
For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17
- Sorrow is a God-given emotion, revealing the hurt and pain you feel in your soul.
- Tears are a God-given human faucet that drips with the evidence of how deeply your life has been effected by some traumatic circumstance.
- God, who created the expression of these emotions, is there to uphold you through each day of grief; He captures every tear, as evidence of His abiding presence.
Every tear is valued by God and saved in His heavenly vault as a reminder of His attentive love during your time of deep sorrow and endless grief.
Praise and Prayer
Thank You, Father, for never abandoning me during those numbing days of despair. Dear Jesus, teach me to live each day with the knowledge of Your very presence.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: Poetry (Psalms 42-89) (electronic ed., Vol. 18, pp. 82–83). Nashville.