“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.’” 2 Kings 20:5
Many of us have likely experienced a time of weeping over a situation, loss, or heartbreak in our lives. During these darkest times of our lives, it can seem like God is far away, not hearing us, not listening to our prayers, and not seeing our tears.
It can be a very lonely, isolating experience for us, times when we may feel gut-wrenched with anguish, sorrow, grief, regret, and remorse, wondering whether or not God even cares about us and what we are going through.
Still, His Word tells us that He does, as Psalm 66:19 assures, “But God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.”
Scripture gives us examples of individuals who were weeping and crying out to God, such as Hannah, who desperately longed to become a mother. 1 Samuel 1:10 describes how, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.”
Many women can relate to her heartbreaking situation of desperately wanting a child. Sometimes, like Hannah, our anguish over a situation is so deep it’s misinterpreted by others who are observing our sorrow, which is what happened to Hannah by Eli the Priest:
“As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine”. 1 Samuel 1:12-14
1 Samuel 1:15-16 reveals her explanation. “'Not so, my lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’”
Still, even despite Eli’s misunderstanding, God understood, heard her cries, and saw her tears. “Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him’” (1 Samuel 1:17).
Another example is found in 2 Kings 20, where God hears the cries and tears of King Hezekiah after the Prophet Samuel tells him to get his house in order because he is not going to recover from an illness that will take his life.
In hearing the news, he cries out to God: "'Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly” (2 Kings 20:3).
As 2 Kings 20:5 explains, God heard his prayers, saw his tears, and healed him.
When we cry out to God, others may try to discourage us from doing so, thinking we’re making a spectacle of ourselves, such as one day when Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd and encountered a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, sitting by the roadside (Mark10:46).
“When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:47).
But “Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:48).
Still, even though others tried to silence him, Bartimaeus kept calling out, and Jesus heard him and restored his sight. Sometimes in our lives, well-meaning friends and family may try to discourage us from crying out to God, but we can hold on to the truth that God hears and sees us.
Psalm 18:6 assures us, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.”
When all may seem hopeless, during our deepest, darkest moments of despair, like Hannah, King Hezekiah, and Bartimaeus, we can have confidence that God hears our cries and sees our tears.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
Thank you that in our deepest, darkest moments we can cry out to You, knowing that You hear us and see our tears. Help us to believe that no matter how distressed and alone we may feel at times, You care for us and will never leave us or turn away from us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/elenaleonova
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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Originally published Thursday, 28 March 2024.
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