You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)
Over the years I have collected autographs, stamps, coins, postcards and teddy bears. But let’s look at a selection of people who possess some of the world’s largest collections of the most bizarre things.
- Jean-François Vernetti from Switzerland has collected 11,111 different ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs from hotels in 189 countries across the world.
- Lorenzo Pescini of Italy has a collection of 8,650 different bottled water labels from 185 different countries and 1,683 different springs.
- Becky Martz has amassed banana stickers consisting of over 7,000 unique labels.
- Dutch collector Niek Vermeulen has 6,290 airsick bags from 1,191 different airlines and almost 200 countries.
God himself collects something very unusual. Psalm 56:8 tells us what it is.
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 (NLT)
God knows the tears you have shed. He documents every tear and lament. He notices and He records each single tear. Maybe no-one else has noticed; maybe you are in your room alone and you shed a tear in private – God still knows. Often in the Psalms David pours out his heart to God. Sometimes he cries because of his own circumstances; for example:
I’m on a diet of tears – tears for breakfast, tears for supper. Psalm 42:3 (MSG)
Sometimes he cries because of others:
Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed. Psalm 119:136 (NIV)
Whatever the reason, God keeps track of your tears. He bottles them. Some people talk about bottling up their tears because they are afraid to let go, to grieve or show emotion; that’s not healthy and only leads to an inner pressure cooker of pain. When we are honest with God and express our tears, He can help us. He tells us, “Cast your burden on the Lord.” We have a Father who keeps track of all our sorrows and catches every single tear we cry. When we begin to grasp the depth of that truth, we can say with confidence just as David did:
This I know: God is on my side! Psalm 56:9 (NLT)