Philippians 1:6 ESV
Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV
Psalm 30:4-5 The Message
Thoughts on Scripture and Life
I’ve been a believer all my life. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know that Jesus loves me. I’m only saying that to make a point.
This week I experienced something with God I’ve never experienced before.
Just when I think there isn’t anything new under the sun, I find that God has only just begun a good work in me. Philippians 1:6 tells us, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
So, what new good work did God bring to me?
I was praying for someone who was in surgery for a very serious condition. While I was praying a deep feeling of sorrow came over me.
I cried so hard I could hardly breathe. I cried for about an hour. I didn’t pray with words. My tears were the prayer.
After I prayed, I sobbed and sobbed.
I was so tired that I fell asleep.
When I woke up this morning I wondered if I had received any messages about the person I’d been praying for the night before. There was a message.
It WAS good news.
In Jeremiah 17:7-8 the prophet wrote about fruitfulness and trust. He said, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
I believe God was telling me my tears produced fruit.
I knew trusting God was the answer to my prayers.
I remember, I didn’t pray with words…I prayed with tears.
I have prayed before without using words, but somehow this was different. It was deeper.
The tree (my prayer) Jeremiah spoke about that was planted by water was nourished by my tears.
The water from my tears grew roots on the plant.
The promise Jeremiah made in Jeremiah 17:8 is that “He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
The promise tells us that when the heat (hard times) come the plant will still be green. Even during times of drought the plant will bear fruit.
My tears were the water for the prayer.
When I started to pray I was very afraid. The person I was praying for was gravely I’ll. It was an illness unto death. I was asking that the person I was praying for would be restored. But even so, I trusted God for the outcome. I knew the person would be healed either in heaven or on earth.
I’ve prayed for healing for many people, but this was the first time I’ve wept buckets full of tears.
As I write this, I am amazed because this scripture was selected weeks ago. Every day when I sit down to write I always pray and wait for God to direct me. I did not know what scripture I would be writing about today.
When I sat down to write I read the scripture and God started showing me the similarities in my tears and the water that nourished the tree in Jeremiah’s prophecy.
I experienced an overwhelming sense of the providence of God. It was as if God’s light was shining on the prayer that had been watered by the tears.
As Psalm 30:4-5 tells us:
“All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God!
Thank him to his face!
He gets angry once in a while, but across
a lifetime there is only love.
The nights of crying your eyes out
give way to days of laughter.”
Ultimately, there is only love.
We trust in God’s great love and provision. Whatever God chooses to do with the water from my tears, however the healing comes…I know it will come.
I trust in His love.
I trust in His healing.
Trust that God will provide.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Trust
Consider God’s love for you and tell God you trust in His love.
In God, Deborah
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