Hope, even in pain

You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? 

(Psalm 56:8, NKJV)

When I look at the globe and the expanse of the skies, it makes me wonder how it would be like to experience a different space of time or environment while I am still sitting in my house.  Like all of us, we see the reality of where we are as complete and can only imagine how it is elsewhere, for example when we talk to someone who is in a different time zone or weather, all  we can do is to imagine their environment maybe see it on video but not experience it as our reality.  Our experience is limited to where we are at any one time.  This is not the case with our God who is omnipresent and eternal so that the past, present and future are all in His presence.  Such greatness is beyond our comprehension and sets Him apart as God all by Himself.  Our limitation of experiencing just the present moment could cloud our minds and at times our hearts, to see the situation that we face as the end in itself, as if there will be no tomorrow.  This is particularly so when one faces deep disappointments and there is a sense of helplessness.  The pain of the situation is so raw that it is numbing, and even the thought of looking beyond the present is a struggle.  Such moments leave a mark in our lives and sadly for some a life-time trauma.

Our reference verse comes from a time when David was heavily distressed following his capture by the Philistines in a place called Gath.  David knowing what his capture meant, he cried out to God as his only strength and so we find this powerful verse, that our tears are not lost to God, He actually collects them in a bottle for remembrance.  The thought of God collecting and safely keeping our tears warms my heart for it tells us that He cares about our tears and that He remembers what has hurt us so deeply.  Beloved, during those moments where words do not suffice and our hearts and heavy with the cares  or happenings of the world, God captures that moment in a way that only He can do.  In the reality of our physical circumstances, we might feel all alone but in the reality of God, He is with us to strengthen and rescue us.  Picturing God collecting our tears and keeping them Himself, gives new meaning to our painful moments. Yes, He remembers our tears and in due time, He wipes them away as only He can do.  It is uplifting to know that even in those moments when all seems to be caving in, we can reach out to Hm who knows our hearts and aches.  Tommy Walker, wrote the powerful song, “I have a maker” and the lyrics remind us that our Father and Maker, not only knows our names but also sees each tear that falls.  It draws us to the comfort of a loving and caring Father who watches over us.

Beloved, knowing God’s concern to be true in our pain, is it any wonder that David reminds us that when he called God in distress, God answered Him (Psalm 18:6).  When God hears our cry, He changes things and so gives us hope for a new day.  We are encouraged to call on His name as our tower of refuge where we find our safety (Proverbs 18:10).  God is our refuge and very present help when we are in trouble, He is our help (Psalm 46:1).  May we learn to draw into His space, calling on Him to shelter us.  Yes, the moment might be so dark but His word says that though weeping will last the night, there will be joy in the morning (Psalm 30:5).  There is a coming morning, we do not dwell in the pain all through, the situation is bound to change and that will be our morning.  Interestingly, the verse does not just refer to the morning but to the joy that comes with that morning.  The focus is the expected joy and therein lies our hope.

Thoughts:

Where do you run to when in pain?

How has God showed up as your refuge?

When have you experienced His joy in the morning of a dark night?