Psalms 56:1-13: a reflection

1Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me. 2My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. 3When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? 5All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life. 7Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God. 8You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren’t they in your book? 9Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this: that God is for me. 10In God, I will praise his word. In the LORD, I will praise his word. 11I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you. 13For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

In a psalm written when enemies pressed hard against him, David says something tender about how God regards his sorrows: You count my wanderings. You put my tears into your container. Aren't they in your book? David pictures God as one who notices and treasures his tears, keeping them, as it were, in a bottle, writing his sorrows in a book. His tears were not overlooked or wasted; God noticed each one, treasured them, kept account of every sorrow. The God to whom he prayed was not indifferent to his weeping, but treasured his tears and took note of all his troubles.

Notice how David pictures God regarding his tears: noticing them, treasuring them, keeping them. He does not imagine his tears falling unnoticed, his sorrows overlooked; he pictures God gathering his tears into a bottle, recording his wanderings in a book, taking note of every sorrow. God was not indifferent to his weeping; he treasured each tear, kept account of every trouble. To David, his tears were precious to God, noticed and kept, not overlooked or wasted. The God who counted his wanderings and treasured his tears was attentive to his every sorrow.

That is worth resting in, for God notices and treasures our tears too; our sorrows are not overlooked by him. We can feel that our tears fall unnoticed, that our sorrows are overlooked, that no one takes account of our troubles; but David pictured God gathering his tears into a bottle and writing his sorrows in a book. God notices each tear we shed; our sorrows are precious to him, treasured and kept, not overlooked. When you weep, and feel your tears fall unnoticed, remember that God notices and treasures them; your sorrows are not overlooked by him. Take comfort that God notices and treasures your tears, keeping account of every sorrow, as David pictured him gathering his tears into a bottle and writing them in his book; for our tears are not overlooked by God, but noticed and treasured, and he takes account of every sorrow we bear.

Lord, in a psalm written when enemies pressed hard against him, David says something tender about how you regard his sorrows: you count my wanderings; you put my tears into your container; aren't they in your book? David pictures you as one who notices and treasures his tears, keeping them, as it were, in a bottle, writing his sorrows in a book. His tears were not overlooked or wasted; you noticed each one, treasured them, kept account of every sorrow. Show me how David pictures you regarding his tears: noticing them, treasuring them, keeping them. He does not imagine his tears falling unnoticed, his sorrows overlooked; he pictures you gathering his tears into a bottle, recording his wanderings in a book. You were not indifferent to his weeping; you treasured each tear, kept account of every trouble. To David, his tears were precious to you, noticed and kept. Let me rest in that, for you notice and treasure my tears too; my sorrows are not overlooked by you. I can feel that my tears fall unnoticed, that my sorrows are overlooked, that no one takes account of my troubles; but David pictured you gathering his tears into a bottle. You notice each tear I shed; my sorrows are precious to you, treasured and kept. When I weep, and feel my tears fall unnoticed, help me remember that you notice and treasure them, Lord; my sorrows are not overlooked by you. Let me take comfort that you notice and treasure my tears, keeping account of every sorrow, as David pictured you gathering his tears into a bottle.