I was listening to my Bible app the other morning, Psalm 56 was the chapter being read. It got my attention quickly!
Do you feel as though your tears are in vain? Maybe you are so tired of crying but the tears still come. In my experience tears only caused more heartache. So I learned not to cry. Until I couldn't hold it in any longer, then it became something I couldn't control.
Do you know what David wrote in Psalms 56 about tears? I think this is beautiful.
"You keep track of my misery.
Put my tears in your leather container.
Are they not recorded in your scroll?"
Psalm 56: 8 NET
We know that when we take Yeshua as our Savior that our name is recorded in the Book of Life, I picture there being a column in there beside our name with a recording of our tears. Along with the tally of our tears, is the reason for those tears.
"For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed.
He did not ignore him; when he cried out to him, he responded." Psalm 22:24
He hears us when we cry out to him with our pain, hurt, shame and He responds.
That is why David said that "In God—I boast in his promise— in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can mere men do to me?" Psalm 56:4
Man can only kill the body, not the soul.
“Do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:26-28 (emphasis mine)
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do. But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!" Luke 12:4-5 (emphasis mine)
"But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14
Know Who and what you are boasting in and about. Yahweh will NOT let you down.
"The Lord strengthens and protects me; I trust in him with all my heart. I am rescued and my heart is full of joy; I will sing to him in gratitude." Psalm 28:7
Put your trust in Yahweh. He wants what is best for you so much that He works things intended for evil to your good. (Romans 8:28) Remember, Balaam and Balak? (Numbers 22,23) Balaam couldn't curse Israel as Balak wanted, he could only speak blessings over them. No matter how hard he tried to curse, only blessings came out! That is how Yahweh works. THIS is our GOD!
"Commit your future to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf." Psalm 37:5
I find the definition of commit in the hebrew to be fascinating. It is to roll. Let's think about this a minute, roll. Roll your future to the Lord. What happens when we roll something? It can roll back. The "thing" can keep rolling forward or roll in another direction, depending on what gets in it's way. To roll is an action. Rolling our future to the Lord, is an action we choose to take each day. Knowing that it can roll back to us, we actively hold it in place before Him, we actively roll our future towards Him.
I am a little mind blown right now! You, too?!
"In God—I boast in his promise— in the Lord—I boast in his promise— in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can mere men do to me?" Psalm 56: 10-11
David reiterates again Who he trusts in. What he boast in. That he is not afraid. He knows where to put his fear and it is not in man.
My heart is encouraged by these verses, I trust yours is as well!
Where do you put your trust?
What are you afraid of?