God Remembers Your Struggles and Pain

Daily Devotional – Sunday, July 16, 2023
You number my wanderings, put my tears into Your bottle, Are they not in Your book?
Psalms 56:8 (NKJV)

David was a normal village herder-boy until the day he killed Goliath. His celebrity status, though, brought him into loggerheads with King Saul. Until the day Saul died, David was always wandering from place to another in search of safety. So many were David’s tears and pains that God created a record of them.

You Number My Wanderings

In Psalms 58, Israel’s future king reflects on his experiences and God’s intervention. While hiding in Gath (a Philistine city), David fell into the hands of enemy soldiers. Trouble seemed to follow David home and away. He had to feign madness for the Philistines to expel him from their land.

Where was God when David was suffering? Here is a hint: “You number my wanderings, put my tears into Your bottle, Are they not in Your book?” (Psalms 56:8). The LORD was right there with his servant in the latter’s troubles, undertaking an important task.

A Record of Tears and Anguish

God was recording the wandering experiences of David. The Almighty was aware of the tears David kept shedding. Indeed, God had captured each tear in a hypothetical bottle. He also recorded David’ struggles and pains in a book. In other words, God was aware of all of His servant’s struggles.

Just as the LORD was not a passive spectator in David’s struggles, He is acquainted with your challenges, pain and tears. Even when you pretend to be okay to mask your pain from people, the Lord records your unshed tears. He reads your mind. He knows your deepest desires. He has a record of everything about you.

God Remembers Your Struggles and Pain

Back to David and Psalm 58. The psalmist brings the issue of his wanderings and tears to God with the intention of requesting God to intervene. David hopes that God will take account of his years of distress, pain and crying and bring relief to this troubled soul. It is as if David is telling God, “Refer to your records and see that I deserve your mercies after prolonged suffering.”

If you are going through prolonged challenges and suffering, do not give up. God has not forgotten you. In Psalm 58, David expresses confidence that God will act, and indeed, He acted on David’s behalf. God remembers your struggles and pain when He looks at the ‘bottle’ with your tears and the records of your anguish. In His own time and manner, He will end your suffering.

Prayer
Dear God, thank you because you remember my suffering and pain. Give me perseverance and patience as I wait for You to intervene.