Read it Slowly
It might seem as an unusual way to begin writing about God and His concerns for our tears, but take the following quiz to see just how carefully you are reading Bible stories. It is important to read the Bible, but it is far more important to read it slowly enough to remember what it says.
Unusual Bible Quiz About Weeping
1. Who does God specifically say wept in the ark?
2. Who wept because they did not have meat to eat?
3. Who wept for seven days because her husband would not tell her the answer to the question she asked?
4. Who wept every day for three years?
5. Who wept and those around her thought she was drunk?
6. Who was barefooted and wept on the Mount of Olives?
7. Who wept when he heard his hometown was in ruins?
8. What three times did Jesus weep?
9. Who wept when he heard a rooster crow?
10. What prophet did God tell to stop weeping?
(How did you do? Answers at end of article).
God and Our Tears
The Bible has much to say about our tears when with broken hearts we come to Him.
Isaiah had just told Hezekiah that he was about to die, and the righteous king immediately prayed to God. Before Isaiah got outside the palace, God came to him and told him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years’” (Isa. 38:5).
In the psalms, David cried and prayed to God. “All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears” (Psa. 6:6). “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not be silent at my tears” (Psa. 39:12). “Put my tears into your bottle; are they not in your book?” (Psa. 56:8). David then described God’s response, “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling” (Psa. 116:8).
Oh, the joy of knowing that God sees our tears. Look at those questions again and see God’s involvement in them. Then, pray fervently knowing just how much He cares.
Answers:
1. Moses—Exodus 2:6
2. Jews in Wilderness—Num. 11:4
3. Samson’s wife—Judg. 14:16-17
4. Paul—Acts 20:31
5. Hannah—1 Sam. 1:9-13
6. David—2 Sam. 15:30
7. Nehemiah—Neh. 1:3-4
8. Jesus—John 11:35; Luke 19:41-42; Heb. 5:7
9. Peter—Matt. 26:75
10. Jeremiah—Jer. 31:16.