Sometimes we just need to cry, don’t we? And who can understand that need better than one who felt it so deeply? The prophet Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet, and of all the people who walked the pages of the Old Testament, Jeremiah most resembles Jesus. The weeping prophet reminds us of our tenderhearted Savior, who is willing to be broken and weep for the people He loves.
It was so dark for God’s people. They had hit rock bottom, and their nation was destroyed. They found themselves in a seven-decade exile in Babylon. They longed for home. They wept for what had been. In that time of destruction, Jeremiah preached the heartbreaking and heart-boosting truth that the nation would fall but that God’s love would stand. “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT).
God saw His people’s tears, and He sees yours. He promises you that even through the blur of sorrow, a light of hope shines brightly—no matter the destruction; no matter the loss.
For the people in Jeremiah’s day, God gave them the hope of going home again. He assured, “A great company will return! Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care. They will walk beside quiet streams and on smooth paths where they will not stumble” (31:8-9 NLT).
Even when tears fall, hope stands. God says to you, “For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (29:11).
The love of God shows up in your darkest moment as the light of hope. And hope turns even your tears of sorrow into tears of joy. So if you need to cry today, go ahead and let it out. Then lift your face to God and feel His love wipe away your tears and give you hope.
Jennifer Rothschild joins Randy and Tammy this Tuesday and Thursday on LIFE TODAY. Excerpted from 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild. Copyright ©2016 by Jennifer Rothschild. Published by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
