Hezekiah In His Bottle

Ladies, do you keep a journal recording all the times you have cried? Perhaps one of the strangest things recorded in the Bible is God putting our tears in His bottle.

“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 NLT)

Did you know that the term ‘tear bottles’ were fairly common in Roman times, when mourners filled small glass bottles or cups with tears and placed them in burial tombs as symbols of respect?

It was also customary in the East to put in the tomb small articles of value, such as gold, silver ornaments or precious stones in bags or small bottles, secured with a seal.

The psalmist David was no stranger to ‘Tears in a Bottle’. This figurative expression seems to

• Luke: He writes about the circumstances surrounding a prostitute crashing a party at a Pharisee's house to see Jesus. In a shocking display, the woman wets Jesus' feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair. May we not say that that those tears of repentance were tears precious for His bottle?

• Hezekiah: The Bible mentions Hezekiah’s prayer. God is moved by Hezekiah's tears. He says: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” (Isaiah 38:5). May we not say that those tears added to prayer were precious tears for His bottle?

• Jeremiah: If people did not listen to God’s word, Jeremiah wept because of it. “But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with tears, because Jehovah’s flock is taken captive” (Jeremiah 13.17). May we not say that those tears of intercession were precious for His bottle? I wonder if God, my Father would look at my bottle of tears and say, “Ah, that one is my daughter, Sajani’s! Her bottle of tears is so precious to me and I treasure each one.

Friend,

• This world is in great need of ‘many tears’ that can wash her clean.

• Numerous ‘sinners’ need to have the seed of the Gospel sown