This I know – God is For You!
I grew up in a strong, loving Christian home. My parents lived out their faith everyday in their lives and they taught me and my sisters how to walk with the Lord. But it wasn’t a perfect home, where my parents told us what to do and us girls just obediently did all that they said. Well, we did have one sister who was like that but for me and my oldest sister — there were attitudes and debates and some pushing back against the rules.
There were times when I felt my parents were the strictest parents in the world and I would tell my parents this (with the hopes of changing their minds) but it didn’t seem to bother them or make them waver in the slightest. They loved me too much to let me run amuck and that was one thing I was secure in – I was loved.
I did not always understand my parents ways but one thing I always knew was that my parents were for me. They could see the bigger picture and so everything they did was for me.
Psalm 56
And that brings us to Psalm 56. David was on the run from his enemies and sleep was not coming easy for him. Instead he was tossing and turning and crying at night and he wrote this about God:
You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
(Psalm 56:8,9)
David knew that God saw his sleepless nights.
David knew that God saw every tear that fell on his pillow.
And David knew that even though he was in deep distress…God was for him.
Friends, I do not know what difficulties you are facing today or how many tears you have cried or how many sleepless nights you have faced…
But this I know – God sees you and is for you!
One of the Hebrew names of God is El Roi – which means “The God who sees me.” This name was first used by Hagar in Genesis 16, when she was running from Sarah. She was fearful and all alone with her son and it was in this dark place that God made his presence known to her. She was comforted by knowing that God saw her.
As we read through the book of Psalms, we see the Psalmists crying out to God over and over and declaring that God is our refuge, our rock, and our unshakable fortress. The world does not have this security that we have! We have a God who loves us and is for us and that we can trust through every valley and struggle.
God is for you!
But you may ask…then what about my tears?
The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35 and it says –
“Jesus wept.”
And Ecclesiastes 3:4 says,
“There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance.”
Tears are a part of life that even Jesus experienced.
In Romans 12:15 we are commanded to cry:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
And in John 20:13, the first words of Jesus after he rose from the dead were to a woman. Jesus said “woman, why are you weeping?” Jesus knew the answer and he was there to reassure her. His presence helped Mary know that everything was going to be okay and that she did not need to cry anymore.
One of the most comforting verses in scripture is Revelation 21:4 which says:
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.”
David said in Psalm 56:3 & 4:
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
Notice how David went from being afraid to declaring – I will not be afraid!
What settled his anxious thoughts?
Putting his trust in God.
Is there something keeping you up at night?
Trust God.Is there something that is causing you to give way to fear?
Trust God.God sees your tears and He is for you!
I know that sometimes it doesn’t feel like He is for us. Just like when I was a kid and my parents would tell me to do things I did not want to do. I couldn’t see then, how much my parents were for me. But now looking back, I can see clearly. I was loved and they were completely — for me.
You may not be able to see the big picture right now but you can trust that God is for you. Release whatever burdens you are carrying to the Lord and trust in God today.
He is for you and He loves you.
Keep walking with the King,
God is so amazing! I needed to be reminded of this. Your upbringing is similar to mine. I am going through one of the most difficult times in my life. My husband is in kidney failure and life is just hard right now. I have cried many tears the last several weeks and at times questioned if God was hearing my cries for mercy. He does see every tear and hear every cry! And He is always for us!
I am so sorry for what you are going through and I am so grateful this reminder was here for you. I’m praying for you and your husband today.
Prayers for you and your family. My God give you the strength to be there for your husband.
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Thank you for this reminder Courtney. I need to trust God. I am experiencing difficulties in my marriage, with my children, and my finances. I am crying out to God in prayer and listening to music to uplift my spirit. I have been encouraging myself that the bigger the challenge the greater the testimony. God will see me through all this and I will have the victory. ????????
Omg I needed this this am my husband is going for a test today and boy do I need him today . This was the sign I needed . Thank you ????????
Maria
So needed this my heart is broken. Only God can restore. Drowning in tears, holding on to God. Please move Father please intervene.
I seriously needed this today! As a mom I’m always afraid that I’m not measuring up. Sometimes I worry about how my kids will end up. Life is so busy and I feel as though there’s never enough time when I get home from work. When the weekends come they’re already packed with so much. My fear is that I’m not getting to speak as much as I want to into their life. I want them to know the Lord and my only prayer is that they’re getting something out of anything I’m saying. ???? I know I need to not fear or worry but trust God!!! Thank you for sharing this today. Like I said I really needed this.
My husband and I will see our daughter for the first time since Christmas Eve tomorrow. We are supposed to , hopefully, reconcile our differences that we had at Christmas. It’s been hard on me to not be able to connect with my daughter like we used to. I am praying that God will give my husband and I wisdom on what we need to say to her. We only want to say what God wants us to say. But we are praying for reconciliation as well.
Beautiful post!
Hello dear sisters in Christ and thank you Courtney for your encouraging words this morning.
I am from a small mountain church in Colorado where my family and I have gone for 25 plus years I’ve know our pastor and his wife since before we knew the Lord and I was just a young girl. A little more than a month ago they lost there daughter after a 3 year battle to cancer. She was 49 years old . Their daughter was a wonderful Christian woman so we all know that she’s in the arms of Jesus. This tragedy has shaken our small mountain church. We’ve lost many in our church over the years but this one really hit home. Our Pastor and his wife are hurting so badly. It’s been so hard to watch. They’re back at church but could I just ask all of you to please pray for them? They need strength to endure this. Thank you and many blessings to all of you. Maria
That’s one of the most comforting things I have read He is for me and He loves me.
I SO know this but I just can’t translate it into peace…
Me neither Karen. It is breaking me.
I too am struggling and hurting. The past few months I have gone from obeying the Lord to obeying my mom who does not seem to be seeking the Lord like she used to. I am so desperate to get back to the Lord but the avalanche of sin I have brought on myself as a result of all this makes it seem impossible. I bought a car against the Lord’s will because I knew it was what my mom wanted. I just desperately want my sins to be wiped away and the temptations to be gone and the pressure from my mom to stop without something terrible happening. I just want my Lord back. Thank you. I am praying for all my other sisters here who are crying out to the Lord also.
Thank you, since my son got married he has not spoken to us, or any of our family. It breaks my heart, crying many times. I pray for his wife and her side of the family at times i pray as David did thinking they are the enemy, praying for God to intervine…and remember we don’t wrestle with flesh and blood but principalities powers rulers of the darkness world. Ephesians 6:12
My God has this restoration is. Coming soon!