Psalm 56:8

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

Everything seemed to be going wrong for David when he wrote this psalm. He was being attacked continually by the Philistines. They were constantly slandering and spying on him, looking for an opportunity to kill him. But amid it all, David affirmed his confidence in the Lord, knowing that with God on his side, he couldn’t lose. He had a deep conviction that his all-knowing God had not only kept track of all his woes, but had stored them up.

We all experience times of difficulty and tragedy. Such times are woven into the fabric of life and there is no avoiding them. When we are in the dark valley of suffering, it is wonderful to know that God doesn’t merely know we are there and accompany us, but also takes our tears and anger seriously. He doesn’t try to jolly us along and urge us to sing a few uplifting songs of worship to get over it. He sits with us in our sadness and recognises the pain that we feel. He won’t ever forget what we’ve been through.

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of how Jesus is able to perfectly understand the struggles that we face because he experienced them himself. He cried out to his heavenly Father with loud cries and tears (Hebrews 5:7). It is very tempting to put on a brave face when we confront difficulties, but God would encourage us to be honest and to share our frustrations and sadnesses with him with the sure knowledge that he not only understands our difficulties but comprehends them more completely than we ever will.

Question

In what ways do you find it helpful to know that God remembers all your times of struggle and sadness?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you that you take my times of struggle so seriously, and understand them completely. Amen