WHEN YOUR TEARS ARE FLOWING.

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Jesus wept.”
(John 11:35)

MEDITATION:
Tears can be a window to our hearts. Tears are not something
we create on our own, but they are an overflow of the feelings
of our hearts. When our sadness overwhelms us, our tears are
signs that our hearts are hurting.

Tears can also be an indication of our overwhelming happiness
and appreciation. Have you ever heard a song at church that
brought you to tears? Were your tears a result of sadness, or
were they a result of your appreciation for Jesus and what He
did for you?

There are times when we need someone to shed tears with us
    (there’s no need for words, it’s their
      presence and shared emotions that we need).
Whenever someone shares their tears with us, we can sense
the sincerity of their heart and their concern for us.

Some people can care just as much as others, but are not moved
to tears at the time, so we should never feel that tears are required
to prove sincere concern for others. When we are sad, we need
comforting; when we are overwhelmed with happiness, we like
to share it with others.

Jesus understands how our emotions can overflow and cause
the tears to flow. He showed His own emotions when Mary
came to Him after her brother Lazarus had died. Mary was
distraught and in tears (along with those who came with her).

Sadness was in the air and the heart of Jesus was on display
as well. It appears He not only wept with them, but He also
wept for them. He knew they were hurting, and it brought
Him to tears as well.

But the question we might ask is,
    “Was Jesus weeping with them because of their loss,
      or was He weeping because He knew the overwhelming
      joy they were about to experience?”

Have you ever bought a gift for someone that you knew they
really wanted and you just couldn’t wait to see them open it?
When they opened the gift, you saw the joy on their face and
it brought tears to your eyes.

Jesus knew what God was about to do and He knew the
happiness that they would experience; this could have
been the reason Jesus was weeping with them. The
scriptures don’t give us His reason for weeping, but
most of us assume He was weeping with them because
He knew the sadness they felt over their loss (and He felt it too).

Regardless of what we believe brought Him to tears,
it is important for us to see, understand, and appreciate
His heartfelt feelings for others.

When we allow Jesus to be a part of our lives, we realize
just how much He cares for us. When we are happy, He
is there, and when we are hurting, He is also there with
us. He weeps with us, and He weeps for us.

When we are mourning, it is not an indication of our
disbelief in the Lord and His presence. When our
tears are flowing, it does not mean we have a heart
that lacks faith.

We can have a strong faith in God and heaven, but our
hearts can still be broken over the loss of a loved one, or
from any other types of circumstances. Even if we feel
confident that our loved one is with Jesus, it doesn’t stop
the hurting we are experiencing.

Grief doesn’t mean we don’t trust God, it simply means
that we miss someone who is dear to us (our own Lazarus).
Jesus knows when we are hurting and when we see that
‘He wept’, it assures us that we have permission to shed
our own tears. What a loving God we worship and serve!

ACTION:
Do you feel the Lord’s presence whenever you are hurting? Do you
sense His presence when you are glad? Is the Lord an important part
of your life? Is He the One you go to when you are sad, and the One
you want to share your happiness with?

When you have a day that is filled with happiness and peace,
do you include the Lord in your day? In other words, do you
remember to thank Him for the good day you are having?
This is one way we can share our happiness with Him. We
can also thank Him for the way we feel when we hear a song
that moves us to tears.

When you are hurting, don’t try to hide your hurt from Him,
but share your thoughts with the Lord. We have just seen how
concerned and caring He is about you, so don’t exclude Him
when you are sad.

Remember this scripture,
    “Come to Me, all you who are weary
      and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
      (Matthew 11:28)

Do you think this verse was included because it has a nice sound to it,
or do you believe it means what it says? Maybe you haven’t, but if you
have ever felt the unusual peace He provides in the midst of turmoil or
heartbreak, then you know a lot about the amazing feeling of comfort
we can experience from His presence in our lives.

He can give us a type of ‘rest’ the world cannot match, and one that is
difficult for us to describe. This can happen as a result of our ‘coming
to Him’. In other words, we speak to Him from our heart as we try to
explain the ‘unrest’ we are experiencing. And guess what? When we
can’t put into words what we are feeling, the Holy Spirit intercedes
and prays for us.
    In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
    We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the
    Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
    (Romans 8:26)

This is just one of the reasons for us to be thankful that the Lord sent
us the Holy Spirit when we received salvation. The Holy Spirit also
helps us navigate a sinful world as the Lord sanctifies us (which is His
process of purging us from all unrighteousness and filling the void left
with righteousness).

Why does He do that? He does it because He loves us and wants us to
become a new person who is more like Jesus, the one we are following.
    You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
    to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
    deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your
    minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God
    in true righteousness and holiness.
    (Ephesians 4:22-24)

A question we should ask ourselves is,
    “Have I put on away my old self and allowed the Lord
      to transform me into the new self He wants me to be?”

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your presence in my life.
I am grateful that You are there to comfort me when I am sad,
and that You bring happiness into my life. Thank You for Your
promise of rest when I come to You. Forgive me if I have failed
to fully include You in my life. Lead me in becoming a new person
full of righteousness so I can feel Your presence and come to You
with my concerns. Your Word has shown me how much You care
for me and I thank You for loving me that much. Help me to show
my love for You by using the spiritual gift You have given me to use
in serving You. Help me to connect with other brothers and sisters
in Christ who will pray for me when I am hurting or have concerns
and need guidance. I am thankful for the ones You have brought into
my life who are encouraging, and willing to listen to my heartfelt
concerns. I pray that I will be an encourager and concerned friend
for them as well. You are the God of creation, the God of love, and
the God I adore, love and worship. Thank You for Your promise to
be with me at all times.”

BLOG: utvolwoody.com