A bowl full of tears
by Pastor Reid Matthias
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You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful (Psalm 80:5).
Psalm 80 is definitely an honest prayer. It’s not one we usually hear when prayers are generally a litany of tasks for God to accomplish before he goes to sleep at night. In our current pandemic climate, we often pray for safety, protection and an end to all things to do with viruses, hand sanitiser and face masks. What else is on the tip of your prayer consciousness?
The honest question, though, is this: how long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smoulder against the prayers of your people (verse 4)?
Is God angry with humanity? Is he so upset that he has put his fingers in his ears and stopped them up from hearing our prayers? Because of God’s righteousness, does he feed us on tears and quench our thirst with saline pain?
Honestly, I don’t know.
But I wonder if there isn’t something to be learned by a diet of tears. When we are beset and surrounded by sorrow, we are often brought back to the feet of God to ask for salvation. Bring about your power, Holy Spirit. Shine your face on us, Father in heaven. Restore us to life, Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords.
The only power of salvation in the world is from the author of the word. In Christ alone, we might be nursed back to health by the tears of today. Perhaps in finishing the crust and emptying the bowl, we might be reminded of our beautiful need for the Saviour.
Wherever you are today, whatever your situation is at this moment in time, pause for a little while and read Psalm 80:1–7. Stop and read it three or four times, and then pray verse seven.
Restore us, God Almighty, make your face shine us, that we may be saved. Amen.
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