I recently spoke at a ladies conference at a church in Tennessee. It was an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to share my testimony through scripture. The theme for their conference focused on Psalm 56:8 ” Though tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”

As I prepared for my talk I was reminded of so many things, so many times when God made it clear to me that He saw my tears and He heard my prayer.

“I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings, and He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God, many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3

No matter where I went in life, or what was happening God was always there to see me through. He knew my hearts cry even before I uttered it; because tears are the expression of our heart to the heart of God. He understands our tears even when we do not have the words to express what we are feeling. Just as the song says, “Tears are a Language that God understands”.

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry: hold not thy peace at my tears for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence and be no more.” Psalm 39: 12-13

There are moments when all of our strength is gone, all that we have is God to hold on to. In those moments we find that His strength is revealed through our weakness. I was saved at the age of 6, lived in a Christian home surrounded by family that lived a strong life of faith before me, but it wasn’t until my faith was something that I had to fight to hold on to that I actually took ownership of my own personal faith in God.

“I am wear with my groaning all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief: it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. Depart form me, all ye workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.” Psalm 6:6-9

It is through the hard times that we learn the most about God and His faithfulness. It is through these times that we see just how real He can become in our lives, as we experience His presence and feel the power of His strength.

“My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?” Psalm 42:3-5a

There were times when I questioned God’s presence, times that I asked Him if He was really there, times when I asked Him if He was listening and if He heard my heart crying out to Him in prayer. He was always there, He never left me, He heard every cry and He caught every tear.

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice and He gave ear unto me.” Psalm 77:1

Even when I wondered if God heard me, His ears were always open to my hearts cry.

“For His anger endureth but a moment: in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountatin to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled. I cried unto thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me, Lord, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.” Psalm 30: 5,7-8, 10-12

No matter what we face, God can turn our sorrow into joy. Even when I did not understand God’s plan in my life, I continued to trust Him because I knew that He was making all things new in His time according to His plan. My faith wasn’t in man, it was in God and in Him I put my trust.

“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.” Psalm 56:11, 13

No matter what man may do to us, we can simply trust in God and He will deliver us. When we find ourselves at our lowest point God is there to lift us up and deliver us. He will keep us from falling and hold us steady when the world around us is falling apart. God can use the struggles of our lives to speak to others as a testimony of His amazing power.

“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126: 5-6

Tears of sorrow often turn into tears of joy. God promises to reward our tears. Sometimes God allows pain to enter our lives so that His greater purpose can be revealed, so that we might be a comfort to someone else.

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” II Corinthians 1: 3-4

After a storm the sun’s light is reflected from the puddles that are left behind. If we allow Him to, God can reflect the light of His Son from the remnants of puddles left behind by the storms of life. We all face storms, its how we respond to those storms that makes the difference. Often that which hurts us the most becomes the ministry through which we can reach out to others who are hurting.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are thy not in they books? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.” Psalm 56: 3, 8, 9

Things that we put in a bottle are important to us, they are often things that we treasure, all of our tears are important to God. He treasures every one and each one of them fulfills a purpose. “Tears are a Language that God Understands”