DEVOTION/ Your Tears Matter

The science of tears

 When is the last time you cried; that is truly wept? When God created people he placed in them the ability to feel emotion. Often those emotions bring about tears of sadness or joy.

Tears are helpful to us. They keep our eyes moist and help us see clearly. They also protect our eyes from dirt or dust. Tears are quite necessary for us to see well. Tears are formed in the tear glands located above the eye. They drain the liquid into the tear ducts located in the inner corner of the eye. Tears are made mostly of water but there are other substances as well that give tears a salty taste. Although animals produce tears to lubricate their eyes, most scientists agree that humans are the only creatures that shed tears as an expression of emotion. It is also said that newborn babies do not cry tears for the first few weeks, because the tear glands are not yet fully developed.

 “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” Psalm 126:5

Tears are not new to God. We find them mentioned many times in Scripture such as when Hezekiah was told he would die. He turned his face to the wall and wept, calling on God for help. God answered him, I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you (2 Kings 20:5). We read that Ruth wept when she left her daughters-in-law, She kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud (Ruth 1:9). Hannah wept because she couldn’t have a baby in 1 Samuel 1:10, In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. Joseph wept when he was reunited with his brothers, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there (Genesis 43:30). And John 11:35 says, Jesus wept.

God sees our weeping. His love for us feels our emotions and sadness. He sees every tear we shed. Psalm 56:8 (CEV) puts it this way, You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them. Thankfully our loving God assures us that in heaven tears will be a thing of the past, He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever (Revelation 21:4 CEV). Psalm 30:5 gives us real comfort with these words: Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 by Reynold R. Kremer