Friday, October 9, 2009

Today's Devotional

Jesus wept.
John 11:35 NIV



Thoughts on today's verse...

As humans, we are uncomfortable with tears. We apologize to people when we cry, we often don't know what to do when someone is crying. Why is this? Why do we feel the need to apologize for crying? Perhaps we look at tears as showing a weakness in our character or a vulnerability we don’t like. Maybe we’re uncomfortable or think our tears are making others uncomfortable.

In today's very short verse, Jesus wept. This weeping was over the death of his friend Lazarus. It is comforting to me to know that Jesus experienced grief and tears. Tears will be a part of our life until we no longer walk this earth, then we are assured that there are no more tears in heaven and that they will be wiped from our eyes.

One of my favorite verses in scripture is Psalm 56:8: You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? I believe for all the tears I cried over heartbreak, sorrow, disappointment will be poured out of that bottle and the big picture will be explained to me.

One of the blogs I follow is All Things New by Johanna. In her most recent posting, she shares of her Grandmother's passing. A question she asks is, "How is it that a heart can be heavy and light at the same time?" My dear, dear Sister - that is one of the mysteries of God. Johanna is a teacher and married to Michael. They are weathering a difficult storm as Michael has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and they haven't been married all that long. My friend Johanna has probably shed her share of tears most recently. I hope that Psalm 56:8 becomes very real for her. I ask for your prayers for Johanna - in fact put her on your prayer list!

My prayer...

Lord, sometimes our tears fall as rain and our hearts are heavy and sorrowful. But I know that You are mindful of them and of the condition of my heart. I love the picture of You collecting them in a bottle and making a notation in Your book! Sometimes, my dear Lord, I feel so much better after crying, as if relief has just been released over my entire body and spirit.

Today My Lord, I lift my sister Johanna and her family up to You. Her precious Grandmother is now in Your presence, and yet the parting is bitter-sweet. Comfort their entire family during this time and be a very real presence to them. In Jesus' name I pray ~Amen!

Yours, because we're His,

Tamara

5 comments:

  1. Tamara, I should of read your post this morning....I had one of those days. My doctor called me this morning to go and see him before I went for my cortisone shot and he changed my antibiotic to a stronger one and for the first time in 10 years I just broke down and cried, I was just so tired of all these medications and infections and it has kept me from my hospice work....he was wonderful with me. I come to your post tonight and see Jesus wept and I didn't feel quite so guilty for being "human" today. Thank you for sharing this post from a friend who really needed these words.......:-) Hugs

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  2. I needed it too, Tamara. One of my former students was killed in an automobile accident. (He was 33 years old.) I am going to play the piano at his funeral...a hard day...and I needed these words.
    Much love to you,
    Jackie

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  3. So sorry to hear the sad news about Michael. God does let us go through some very tough times, and at those times, our hope truly does rest in Him alone. There seems to be so much illness everywhere I turn, in blogland and here in my community. It does cause the tears to fall like rain. To know that our God is there to wipe them away is comforting, and brings peace. Thanks for sharing this today...my prayers are with both of these dear people in their fiery trial.

    God bless,
    Mary

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  4. Yes, this was timely, Tamara. Tears have lodged just beneath the surface of my soul. Sometimes they come when I am happy; sometimes when I am overwhelmed; sometimes when I hurt; sometimes when I'm frightened. I never know WHEN they're going to come. Mostly, I am not ashamed of my tears, but I know they make others uncomfortable. I have learned NOT to be uncomfortable with the tears of other people. Tears need to be shed.

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  5. I've been having blogger problems again I guess because I commented on this but it's not here. I've noticed that a few times before here and on other blogs. Oh well.

    I had just said that this short Bible verse is one of my favorites. I love thinking of Jesus as 'one of us' and so like us in so many ways.

    Sorry to hear of everyone's problems, life does get overwhelming sometimes. That's why we are so Blessed to have somewhere to turn. And we are so Blessed that we have each other to hold up in prayer.

    I actually just came back over here to thank you for your kind words to me on one of my post. I thanked you in my comments but I wasn't sure if you'd be back to read there.
    I appreciate so much your input and I thank you for recommending that book and I do plan on reading it.

    Thanks for your prayerful blog, it helps me each day.
    God Bless you.
    Love and Prayers,
    Eileen

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