Bottomless Sorrow

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

PSALM 56:8

WHAT WAS ONE OF your saddest times? What made it so sad? Does thinking about that time still make you sad today?

Deep sadness leaves a mark on our hearts. It makes us cry out, weep, and feel empty. We experience deep sadness when people we love die, when parents divorce, and when other big, life-changing things happen. Those are times when we want to cry, and we feel like we may never be able to stop.

Those are the times we need God the most. He tells us we can lean on him when we can’t stand on our own. We can imagine sitting at Jesus’ feet, resting our head on his knee, and letting him soothe us.

God knows our deep sadness. Our anguish makes him sad too. That’s why this verse says he’s collected each of our tears in a bottle. We matter so much to him. So when you think of past sadness or when you face it in the future, go to God with it. Even when you don’t have the words to pray to him, just imagine yourself sitting with him. It will help, and he will comfort you.

DO

Find several old pencils or a handful of toothpicks. Using both hands, try to break one pencil or toothpick. Easy, right? Now group a bunch of pencils or toothpicks together and try to break them. Much harder, right? When we face deep sadness alone, it’s hard to stay strong. When we face it with God’s power, we may bend, but we won’t break.

PRAY

Dear God,

Thank you for being there for me when I’m sad. Please help me remember to lean on you and rely on you when my heart is broken. Amen.

READ

John 14:1; Revelation 21:3-4