Keep Your Eyes On God Through Your Tears

KEEP YOUR EYES ON GOD THROUGH YOUR TEARS

INTRODUCTION - I remember a song I used to love to listen to in my younger days. It was sung by Reggae singer Johnny Nash and it went like this:

Every night I wake up crying,

Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart,

You on my mind.

Everybody has cried at some time or the other. Some may cry often with their tears being visible, while others may cry only on the inside, with no visible sign of tears. A few men pride themselves by saying that they never cry!! A quote however says, ‘Less wars would be fought if men cried more often’!

The Bible talks a lot about tears. It tells us that the Lord Jesus wept publicly at the funeral of Lazarus (John 11:35), and that He also prayed with tears (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus also said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21).

Personally, I shed tears very rarely, not because I’m an exceptionally strong man, but maybe because that’s the way I’m wired. However, at times of personal crisis and failure, I have cried silent tears inside me many, many times, that no one has seen. Thankfully, those tears have always drawn me closer to God. If therefore you feel today that no one sees your tears, be assured that God sees them!

Are you crying today? Are the tears flowing freely? If so, I pray this sermon will help you.

PROPOSITION – Keep your eyes on God through your tears.

‘Tear’ – A drop of salty liquid that flows from the eye, especially because of pain or sadness (Longman Dictionary)

Tears bring healing when we are surrounded by pain and sorrow. They also lubricate the eyes and help to wash away dust and other irritants. We are blessed by God with what are called ‘tear glands’ and ‘tear ducts’ which help in the production and removal of tears. I am told that if the tear ducts don’t function too well in someone, it could cause much discomfort and other complications.

Today, I would like to leave 4 thoughts centered around ‘tears’ that I pray will strengthen you. They are:

1) Keep your eyes on God when tears cloud your vision

Tears cloud our natural vision. Have you tried to read when your eyes are filled with tears, maybe after sneezing or coughing? It’s not easy. Similarly, our vison in life also gets blurred when we are filled with tears. In Psalm 6:7 David said, “My vision is blurred by grief” (NLT).

We also know that for some, ‘tears of joy’, especially after a big victory, can be dangerous and can cloud their vision if not handled properly, leading to pride. Others are experts at crying ‘tears of deception’, sometimes referred to as ‘crocodile tears’. Delilah is a classic example of someone who deceived Samson with her nagging, accompanied almost certainly with tears (Judges 16:15)!

Today, has your vision, your purpose, your goal or maybe even your character been clouded or blurred through your tears? If so, fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus who understands your situation better than anyone else. Let Him clear your vision and give you fresh sight or insight once again. However, one thing we need to be careful about in such circumstances is not to take hasty decisions purely on human wisdom. Wait for God to clear your vison and to give you His wisdom, which He will do, if you humbly ask Him (James 1:5).

In 2 Samuel 19:1-7, David wept over the death of His son turned enemy Absalom, so bitterly, that the men who fought so bravely to protect him from the armies of the same Absalom, were totally discouraged. David did not show adequate gratitude to them for risking their lives to ensure his safety and protect his throne. Let me quote on this from a Bible Commentary:

[David’s action entirely prevented him from taking a just and correct view of the crime of his rebel son…. In his sinful sorrow,…. David not only forgot altogether his duty to recover the affection of his people, but even allowed himself to be carried away into measures that could not contribute to the strengthening of his throne”].

David’s tears had clouded his vision and he reacted wrongly.

So, keep your eyes on God, through Jesus, when tears cloud your vision. Although your vision of Him may be unclear because of your trials, be assured that His eyes are firmly fixed on you. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer”.

A quote I came across says, ‘Do you believe in the sun when it is hidden behind the clouds? Then doubt not the guidance of God when He seems to hide His face”.