God’s Tear Bottle

The prophet Jeremiah, speaking for God, wrote: “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares the Lord, "who steal My words from each other” (Jeremiah 23:30). Well, I am not a prophet, but this verse gives me to understand that God is not any more pleased when preachers today steal from other preachers, any more than He was pleased with lazy, false prophets. Having said that, I want to thank my brother and friend Wayne Burger for the thoughts that follow.

King David wrote: You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? (Psalm 56:8). The reference to putting tears in a bottle meant that David was asking God to remember his tears; remember his suffering. David suffered a great deal in the days between his being chosen to replace King Saul and Saul’s death.

In the verses before this one, David had expressed himself in this song (psalm) concerning what he has suffered. In fact, in the very first verse he refers to himself as one whom “man has trampled upon.” He says that his enemies have fought against him, distorted his words (verse 5), attacked him, lurked around against him, watched his steps and waited to take his life (verse 6).

Have you ever felt like that? I know many of you have. I know I have. Most of the time when I have felt this way, things were not really as bad as I thought, but there have been a few times when they were. It was true for David and it might be true for you right now. Does it encourage you to know that God can keep your tears in His bottle and remember what you suffer? It should!

After all that David suffered, read what he said in verses 10, 11: 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I hope that you can truthfully say today that you praise the Word of God Almighty, faithfully obeying that Word. I say it that way because it is important to realize that if we say we praise Him and His Word, but do not obey it, we are deceiving ourselves. I want you to be able to say, with David, “This I know, that God is for me” (verse 9). God will be for you if you submit yourself to Him because He loves you. And I love you, too. Have a great day!

Donnie Bates