HomeWord - Mar. 10, 2011

Tears
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. —Matthew 11:28

Tears communicate. From the day a child is born tears have the powerful ability to communicate hunger, loneliness, pain, anger, and even joy. By the time a child is just a few days old, parents can distinguish not only the cries of their own child but can distinguish the exact type of need associated with that cry. The following story describes one such experience.

The screen door opened hard and slammed against the wall alerting the mother that something was wrong. With sagging shoulders, a slow, methodical pace and a tear-streamed face came the child. The mother scooped up the bundle of tears and quickly surveyed the damage. No bumps, bruises or blood could be seen but the cries of the child increased. It was then the mother recognized the cry. Beyond the pain of the moment was a deeper need being communicated - one that reached the heart of the mother unlike any other cry. It was the cry of one needing love. The mother looked at her child, still crying in a heap on the counter, and placed the child’s wet, sweaty head against her chest and clung tightly to the child. The child’s deep cries communicated something from deep within her soul. After a few minutes the cries lessened and the child became calm. Mom looked intently into the eyes of this precious life, wiped away the tears, kissed her head and went hand in hand with her back out to play.

God is like this! He’s a Father who hears our cries and can understand the difference between our different cries of pain, hurt, anger, frustration, joy and deep need. And, like the mother in the story, He longs to hold us while we cry, not saying anything but showing immeasurable love through his powerful embrace? Jesus invites us to draw near to Him for comfort. “Come to me,” He says… “Come, I will give you rest. You can cry on my shoulder. I will hold you until you let go.”

What do your cries communicate? Maybe you don’t cry or haven’t cried in many years. Just like the mother in the story above, today there is Someone waiting to hold you, to love you while you cry and His name is Jesus. He doesn’t care if you are male or female, young, old, rich, poor, or somewhere in between. He is waiting with open arms. He promises to give you rest. What are you waiting for?

GOING DEEPER:

1. Sometimes, issues like pride, embarrassment, or sin can keep us from crying out to God. What stands in your way from crying out to God about the situations of your life?

2. What type of “cry” do you need to come to God with today? Is it one of pain, hurt, anger, frustration, joy or deep need?

FURTHER READING:

1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 91; Psalm 17:8