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Online! | Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | "Put my tears into your bottle; are they not in your book?" (Psalm 56:8).
The National museum in Tehran, Iran, has ancient artifacts dating back some 6,000 years. In that museum there are some odd shaped bottles. When a husband went off to war, the wife or loved one would weep and collect their tears in a bottle, and upon his return she would hand to her beloved the bottle of tears they spoke louder than the words I love you'. Scripture tells us that God has a bottle, in which He collects our tears.
Strange Scriptures for the Western mind, but the old Middle Eastern custom of collecting the tears of the family and preserving tears in bottles is normal. When death or serious trouble occurred, each member of the family brought his or her tear bottle and collected tears from all the persons present. These bottles were sacred to the family members because they represented all the sorrows of the family. Each person was buried with his or her tear bottle. Many of these have been found in ancient tombs.
King David was someone who knows what it is to shed many tears. Yet even in his tears and in his exile, he finds comfort. He realizes that God is taking note of everything he is going through. A record is being kept in Gods book of all that he suffers.
Even his tears are not shed in vain. They are tears of grief and loneliness, but not of despair. There is a future to them. At present they are a token of suffering, but one day each tear will become the theme for a song of praise. So David says to God, Put my tears in Thy bottlestore them up carefully for me.
Suffering is an almost inevitable part of human life, but it is not necessarily evil. Its outcome will depend on how we react to it. There is an old saying: To be beautiful one must suffer. Suffering endured in faith and for the sake of righteousness imparts a unique beauty that death cannot destroy. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us
May God encourage Your heart today. He knows what You are going through and He is able.
_________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
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| 2011/8/10 17:28 | Profile |
| Re: Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | Thank you Brother. This is beautiful.
My life has hung on to just two verses that go along with this good Doctor's words, I believe ...
"Suffering is an almost inevitable part of human life, but it is not necessarily evil. Its outcome will depend on how we react to it."
"And we know that ALL things work together for Good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called according to His purpose, 'for' whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
"May God encourage Your heart today. He knows what You are going through and He is able."
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| 2011/8/10 17:42 | | StarofG0D Member
Joined: 2007/10/28 Posts: 1232 United States
| Re: | | amen _________________ Michelle
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| 2011/8/10 18:29 | Profile | ginnyrose Member
Joined: 2004/7/7 Posts: 7534 Mississippi
| Re: Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | Wow! I never gave the mention of tears in the Bible much notice before. Never knew they were valued that much!
Thanks for posting this article for our edification. _________________ Sandra Miller
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| 2011/8/10 20:29 | Profile | StarofG0D Member
Joined: 2007/10/28 Posts: 1232 United States
| Re: Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | "These bottles were sacred to the family members because they represented all the sorrows of the family."
After reading over this again more intently. This thought kept coming to me...When people admit their sorrows to one another, how much the bond is tighter. Is it not the same with our God? True repentance. A turning of reliance from oneself toward Him. How glorious is He!
This article is just another reason why I love SI so much!
Love this hymn..
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
In every condition, in sickness, in health; In povertys vale, or abounding in wealth; At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid; Ill strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
Even down to old age all My people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, Ill never, no never, no never forsake. _________________ Michelle
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| 2011/8/10 22:58 | Profile | A-Run Member
Joined: 2008/9/8 Posts: 56 India
| Re: Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | I must say that these days I have been going through some tough times- spiritually! Its tears often and heartache.
I humbly request your prayers.
I have been trying to help one of my colleagues- a girl, who went through some terrible times recently. She had failed relationships and as a result was messing her life by partying etc... And in b/w i told her several things and gave her a Bible as well(she is an unbeliever). She was ok for some time, but now she says she will be partying again though not so often as before. She says she doesnt want to -but her old party friends keep forcing her. She has to go to a party on 26th Aug (friday) and she has requested prayer that somehow she may escape that.
My problem is- my heart is troubled a lot these days. And surely, I must be getting emotionally attached as well- which I do not want. I want to get rid of her- but its getting so difficult. Sometimes I just keep thinking of her as to why she had to mess her life etc...
Please pray for me that I may be faithful to God and that I may have undistracted devotion to the Lord.
Please pray for that girl as well that she may be delivered from the clutches of the devil/world. _________________ Arun
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| 2011/8/11 0:58 | Profile | A-Run Member
Joined: 2008/9/8 Posts: 56 India
| Re: | | I am sorry to raise this up again, but I wanted to request prayers from all of you regarding above. I am in need of them.
Thanks! _________________ Arun
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| 2011/8/13 10:26 | Profile |
| Re: | | Read the last two entries of your blog [eta-from Nov]. They're timely. |
| 2011/8/13 13:05 | | Veronica226 Member
Joined: 2010/2/3 Posts: 144 Montana
| Re: Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | Thank you so much for sharing this brother. It was so encouraging. "Tears in a bottle" may be a strange concept to western ears, but oh how precious! There is a song I know that goes with this. I love singing it to the Lord. I think it's called "Overwhelmed".
"I am nothing, yet You bid me Come to You, oh Lord Almighty As I come I'm overwhelmed with You
Humbly now I break the silence As I'm weeping in Your presence I'm so wretched, overwhelmed with You
And Your blood of redemption Is covering my shame And Your voice that shakes the heavens Is whispering my name And as You catch my tears in Your nailed scarred hands
I'm overwhelmed, overwhelmed I'm overwhelmed with You"
Yeah, I love that song... _________________ Veronica
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| 2011/8/13 16:35 | Profile |
| Re: Tears in a bottle by Dr. Joseph Chavady | | Fascinating. (I suppose some of those war widows could have filled the rest of the bottle with water if they didnt cry enough tears to fill it up before showing their husband--just a thought). I always wonder though about the tears we DON'T cry, such as the tears we hold back because we are afraid that if we start we wont be able to stop forever and ever. Invisible tears from pain too great to allow it to surface. Some people never cry but that doesnt mean their pain is any less. Men especially seldom allow themselves to cry. |
| 2011/8/13 21:59 | |
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