The Day God Shed Tears

It’s always expensive and full of regrets in the long run to insist on what you want over what God wants to do for you. The incident that constituted one of the emotional and heart breaking stories in the Bible, to me, is when the children of Israel vehemently asked for a king.

I want you to tell a story. A handsome young man got married to a very pretty young woman. The prettiest in the whole community. They were not rich but they enjoyed whatever the daily labour could provide for them. Though they were not rich, they were the envy of their neighbourhood. They worked together, played together, ate together, sang together, did everything together. The woman took in and it was not easy for them. On the day of delivery, all the people in the community were present to see and rejoice with them. In the end, it was a pity the woman could not make it alive. But the baby boy was alive. It wasn’t an easy commotion in the community. The man could not be consoled. In his cry, he vowed not to marry another woman but to raise the child himself. The boy grew and also became the envy of all in the community. The father was his guide, his mentor, his everything. One day, he asked his father why he decided not to marry another woman. The father responded by telling him that he did not need any distraction in raising him up the way he wanted to. Things were moving smoothly until the boy graduated from college. He got a job and was doing well. He rented and moved alone into his new apartment. And all of a sudden, he sends a message to his father through a messenger he employed that he doesn’t want to see him anymore. In the message contained that seeing him is through that messenger. The father tearfully pleaded to get to meet with him so they could sort out whatever it was. His plea was adamantly turned down.

What a heat breaking story! That is exactly what God suffered in the hands of the children of Israel. Let’s read.

1 Samuel 8:4-7. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thine ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. KJV. Emphasis mine.

If God could shed tears, that’s one of the moments He did. You can visibly and clearly feel what God felt from those verses. When you read further, all the pleas of God fell on deaf ears.

Jeremiah 2:1-5. 1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD: I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. 3 Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD. 4 Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

Micah 6:3-4. 3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied {wronged} thee? Testify against me. 4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. KJV. Emphasis mine.

God is heart-broken when ever we reject Him from being the Judge of our lives. He wants us to talk. He wants to care. He wants to support. He wants to help. But we’re not letting Him. That’s the sole reason He sent Jesus Christ to come and search us out and reconcile us back to Himself. He’s longing for a relationship with His. Would you let Him?

If you find yourself in this habit of shutting the door in God’s face, and you feel bad about it, there’s a very simple way to make an amend. Just say these few words sincerely from your heart:

My God and my Father
I’ve come to realize that I’ve been in the wrong
I’ve been shutting you out of my life
Thank You for loving me still
I’ve seen my wrong
And please I’m sorry for breaking Your heart
I ask that You renew my spirit to love and obey You
I welcome Jesus the Christ into my heart
And I ask that Your Holy Spirit guide my ways always
Amen.

If you made that prayer, study the Bible. You will hear Him speak to you. Pray and let Him know your concerns. He hears.