Many people in much of the world today are feeling tremendous pain and trauma. This is not the first time that this has been true, nor will it be the last, but it has lead me to wonder… Does God cry? The bible says (in Revelations 21:4 NIV) that, at the end of all time as we know it, God will wipe away our tears and pain, and they will be no more! That is a great hope to look forward to… NO pain! No tears! However, this passage does not say that God does not get sad or cry in the interim, and, reflecting on scripture, I am certain that God just might shed a tear or two (or many) over much of the tragic, stupid, pointless, selfish, and traumatic events and happenings around the world today.
John 11:35 is one of my favorite verses. The shortest verse in the bible, but wow what power is held in those two short words… Jesus wept. The God/man Jesus, in a moment of grief around Him, though anticipating the huge victory of raising Lazarus from the dead that would soon come, still entered into the pain and mourning around Him, and He wept! This passage assures me that God is grieved by the pain, loss, tragedy, and trauma encountered here on earth. Many old testament scriptures also show that God was grieved over the sin, pain, and brokenness that existed. I believe that God does cry.
To be completely transparent, what got me thinking about the question, “Does God cry?” is that yesterday I again had to take my precious baby boy to get yet another vaccine. The medical staff gave him a shot in his right leg, and, though he was fine and happy for the first few hours, his leg swelled up and he has been in lots of pain for several hours now. Fortunately, this morning his fever has left and he seems to no longer be in great pain. However, hearing his distinct cries of pain pierced my heart. I cried yesterday, and it was because my dear baby boy was in lots of pain. I love my son dearly, and it frustrates me that I am not able to remove his pain, but I, at least, can be present with him, loving on him and trying to soothe him, in his time of need. I blew kisses on his belly and neck, and he giggled and laughed a bit, distracted from his fever and pain. I believe and imagine that God our Father is this way as well, seeing us in our pain and weeping with us, and also working to alleviate our pain. While He could just remove it, He has allowed for sin and free will to be a part of the plan, and therefore He empathizes with us, but does not often remove the consequences and results of the sinful, broken world in which we live.
As I have been focused on my son, my mind also shifted to the many dear children who do not have a loving mother and/or father present to cry over them, care for them, and love on them. My heart goes out to the multitude of children around the world, impacted so negatively by war, famine, neglect, abuse, loss of family, addiction, poverty, and so many other huge influences. I cried yesterday for them as well. Many live in the streets, while others return to horrid home situations (sometimes including orphanages and children’s homes).Though I never had a real dad, God is allowing me to be a dad to my precious son, and I want to be present with him, cry over him, laugh with him, and love him well. My heart breaks that so many precious children do not get to have that blessing, and it literally drove me to tears yesterday, as I was reflecting on it. I know that it breaks God’s heart and I believe He grieves and cries over this. Do we as well? Are we moved to action by the reality of what children in this world, all over the globe, face every day, or do we dismiss it and just say the problem is too big for us to make a difference? I am convinced that every tear shed, prayer said, dollar given, and time contributed to help even just one of these precious children matters tremendously! God cries for these children, and invites us to help them. Do we cry for them as well, and do we help them?!?
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