by Donna Bell
Many years ago I attended a Christian seminar on depression and the speaker talked about how we sometimes unload our problems on God and, I paraphrase, “God doesn’t need our junk. He doesn’t want it.” At the time it made sense to me. After all, if I didn’t want my junk, why would God? But this line of thinking leaves me holding onto my problems and struggling to find solutions, feeling like God does not really want to get involved in the nitty gritty of my life. And feeling like I better have my act together before I go to Him. But God is not someone you can just say “holy” things to—think about it—who could say something to impress the God of the universe anyhow? Or offer something “good enough” for Him? Here’s what we can offer:
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Ps. 51:7
He is looking for hearts. My heart. Your heart. Real hearts. He can work with a pliable heart, starting wherever it’s at.
We are not meant to hold on to our burdens and struggle through them on our own. The Bible encourages us to take all things to Him:
“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you.” Ps. 55:22a
“Trust in Him at all times, O people, Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Ps. 62:8
“casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” I Pet. 5:7
David prayed,
“You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” Ps 56:8
He has kept an account of me (and you, too) and all of my bumbling, wandering, imperfect ways. Does God really keep a bottle of our tears? He certainly could. He does have a book of our life, and I know mine includes tears.
When King Hezekiah became mortally ill and wept bitterly before the Lord in prayer, the Lord sent him word that he had heard his prayer and seen his tears. (2 Ki. 20) Tears speak their own, condensed, language of prayer that God sees and hears.
This whole idea that God keeps track of my tears, whether in a bottle or not, demonstrates that He cares about me and is intimately involved and concerned about what happens to me. Were you ever told as a child, “Stop your crying”? That’s not God. He does not trample over me even when I am at my weakest. He deeply cares for me. He is a refuge for me. He never forgets me, never is unaware of me.
“This I know, that God is for me.” Ps 56:9b
Our niece told me that she recently overheard her seven-year-old daughter singing in the car while they drove home one day. She was singing, “God, help me be good. I’m not running away from You, I’m running towards You.” I have thought of that simple prayer often over the past months, and prayed it myself. It is wisdom to run towards God when we understand that He cares for us.