“Help me, O Lord, to make a true use of all disappointments and calamities in this life, in such a way that they may unite my heart more closely with thee.” -Susanna Wesley, mother to 19, only 10 of which were earthside.
Life is full of mountains and valleys, am I right?
Hannah knew something of the difficulty of life. She was one of two wives to Elkanah. Her sister wife, Peninnah, had many children, and Hannah? The Lord had closed her womb. Hannah had the love and favor from her husband, so Peninnah made it her job to grieve Hannah. Year after year, birth after birth, Peninnah provoked Hannah to the point of weeping, and what the Bible describes as a “bitterness of soul." Unable to eat or be comforted by her loving husband, tormented by her fruitful adversary… Hannah takes her tears to God. Her sorrow displayed in such a way that when Eli the priest saw her, he assumed that she was intoxicated. Her longing and sorrows were deep and her tears flowing.
Have you been there? Bringing your broken heart to the only One with the power to change your situation? Gentle Jesus, our Intercessor, hears and saves our tears. In these moments it’s easy to focus on Jesus, our Gift-Giver, our Miracle-Worker. But I want to point you to Jesus, our High Priest. Jesus was was touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He felt fleshly longing and pain. He's the God whose glory trumps our comfort, and His plan takes first place to our desires. The God who sees the ending He has written, and His work He is putting in order. The God who doesn’t leave us to sit alone in our brokenness. The God who draws even closer when our hearts are breaking. The God who shelters us while we wait in our pain. The God who has experienced every sorrow of humanity. That Savior God sees, and He takes notice.
Are you there? Have you been there? I have. It’s easy to look inwardly towards our needs in these seasons, but let’s take a look at the position of our Father.
In Psalms, we know that while we are on earth, He records our sorrows. He is protecting and saving our tears in His bottle. (Psalm 65:8) He never lets a single one hit the ground. They must hold incredible value to be kept safe by Creator God. (Oh I wonder if it would be permissible for me to ask for my bottle tears when I get to Heaven, so that I can wash His feet like Mary did. Tears cried out in pain given the ultimate purpose. Redeemed.)
But tears are not created with forever in their DNA.
The Bible reveals that when we reach Heaven there will be a new action. A new action that brings so much joy and anticipation to my easily broken heart. Jesus, our Tear-Collector moves into a new position. When we have finished our earthly race and eternity lies before us, Revelation promises that He will no longer come to collect tears, but He will instead come to wipe the tears off of every face. In fact, the Greek word used in that passage means “to smear, obliterate, to blot out”. The very same word used in Colossians referring to the blotting out of the record of our sins.
Col 2:14 “(Jesus) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.”
With the same force He banished sin and rubbed out the charges against us, He will one day wipe away those tears. Permanently blotting out those tangible signs of sadness. He will no longer be saving and recording, but obliterating them forever. Making them a thing of the old world. Oh the closeness of a Savior looking into tear filled eyes and brushing away the last tears to be shed… banishing them for the final time.
No more sorrow , no more crying, no more heartbreak.
Only light. Only Him.
Now that’s the perfect ending if you ask me.
And there will be no more night,
Kate Foster
ARH Staff Writer