Listing Tears

The Christian philosopher John Macquarie once remarked in a lecture I heard that most people do not find the idea of God’s existence as difficult as accepting the more demanding Christian claim that God cares personally for individuals. In a complex world full of complicated individuals, how can God possibly know each one of us? One consequence of assuming that God cannot know personal details is that we think that we are not accountable to him for the way we live. Indeed, contemporary society gives so little credence to the idea of divine accountability that much unethical action has only one concern—that no one will find out!

However, the extraordinary conviction runs through Scripture that God does care personally about us, even in small details—like the tears we shed. Here is another psalm of lament, pouring out desperate hurts and fears; longing for justice, yet convinced that God is intimately involved. Because God can be totally relied upon (4) the psalmist not only faces fear positively but he also knows that God sees all that is happening and that God has the last word on his situation. God deals with nations (7) on the largest scale, but also records tears on the smallest scale as the psalmist suffers. It is truly remarkable that God promises to work his justice out at every level of human life. For this psalmist, it means calm trust in God. John Calvin called the last verse “the goal in godly living”: “that I may walk before God in the light of life” (13). The psalmist knows that he walks before God instead of turning his back on him.

Reflect on the repercussions of walking before God today. “…So that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). What does this cautionary truth say to you?