[b]The Gift of Tears[/b]
[i]by Paul Cain[/i]
There will be no public reaping without some public weeping. The greatest reapers in this world are the greatest weepers.There is a gift that we need to ask God for in these days. It's the gift of tears. We need to come before the Lord, making ourselves available to Him in a deeper way. The gift of tears is more than a result of the suffering that comes from living in a fallen world. It flows from feeling the pain and the suffering that the Lord Jesus feels for us. He is our High Priest, touched by the feeling of our infirmities. We need to feel what He feels for America. We need to feel what He feels for the Church. We need to feel what He feels about sin and the abominations that are going on in the earth today.We must have tears if we are going to see revival. If we have no tears it's because our hearts are parched. Lord, give us tears that we may see revival!David said in Psalm 6, "I'm worn out from groaning all night long." How long has it been since you or I have groaned all night long? He also said, "I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow."Have you considered Jesus Christ as a man of sorrows? He's not known as a man of laughter. He's not known as a man of frivolous flippancy. He is known as a man of sorrows.In these last days it's imperative that the Church become a partaker both of Christ's heavenly calling and His heavenly ways. Jesus Christ is a man of sorrows. What a privilege to share in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings - even, if necessary, to the point of death.Our dry eyes reflect our parched hearts. The shedding of tears shows that the heart is engaged. Where are tears today? Ps. 56:8 says, "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" Did you know that God is saving up our tears?I know theologians who are as dry as shucks. They never shed a tear no matter how emotional their text or subject. How can you preach the gospel, the death of Christ and all that happened on the cross without tears? If you look at the Son of God without tears to protect your spiritual eyes you'll go blind. Could this be what has happened to so many theologians? They look into the word but they never cry. They never engage their hearts.What if all of us were called upon to accept God's gift of tears before He would ever consider giving His gift of revival? Would you apply for the gift? Would you seek for the gift? Would you beg for the gift? If you really want revival, I believe you would.Until a situation really seems hopeless we won't cry. We won't employ tears unless it's really desperate. Don't you think it's about time we try tears? We may have had a little too much of the opposite in the Church. Let's try tears.Maybe we have too much "know how". Now it's time to have the "know Who", the Man of Sorrows. Let's try tears. I tell you, there will be no public reaping without some public weeping. The greatest reapers in this world are the greatest weepers.Ministry in the last days is worth everything. It will cost everything. Are you willing to pay the price in much tears, in much prayer and supplication? I pray a lot, but I don't supplicate enough. If necessary, I need to supplicate until I suffocate! We need prayer and supplication. We need to pray as Jesus prayed, with strong crying and tears.Where are the tears today? This is what we ought to ask ourselves. Do we really know the heart of God? "Out of the heart flow the issues of life," Prov. 4:23 says. Not out of strategic meetings, planning committees, building committees, missions committees, not out of little weak prayer meetings, but out of intercession and prayer with travail.I want my soul to be filled with tears, and rivers of living water to flow out of my innermost being, rivers that will water the seed. The seed of prayer produces little unless it is watered with tears, the water that nurtures it and brings forth a harvest.So ask God for the gift of tears. Expect it - ask for it and expect it. I think the Lord is saying, "I want My Church to go from feasting and playing to fasting and praying. From laughing to mourning and then from weeping to reaping." From weeping to reaping - can you see where it will end? We must go from laughter to mourning. We have gone all out for hilarity. Now the party's over.Oh, for prophets like Jeremiah, who cried out for his eyes to be a fountain of tears! Prayer and intercession is our most important work. Let that be locked into your thinking.Prayer and intercession is the most important work of the Church. The next move of God will not be characterized by people falling on their backs and laughing, although that can be good.The next move of God will be known for people falling on their faces and weeping, weeping, weeping - all the while God is being magnified as the Church beholds His majesty, beholds His glory and becomes His glory.
_________________
SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
|
