Every Tear Counts

Read

Isaiah 38:2-5 “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ‘Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: ‘Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.’’”

Think

Have you ever fallen off your bike and scraped your knee? The sting is terrible. Tears come before you can stop them.

Then someone who loves you comes running. Maybe it's your dad. He kneels down right there on the sidewalk. He looks at your knee. He looks at your face. He wipes your tears with his thumb and says, “I see. I know it hurts. I'm right here.”

Those words make a big difference. It helps so much to know someone sees your tears.

King Hezekiah had a moment like that with God. Only it was about much more than a scraped knee.

Hezekiah got really, really sick. He was so sick that it didn't look like he would get better. Hezekiah was scared and sad.

So he did what he had learned to do. He prayed. He turned toward the wall, maybe so he could be alone with God, and he poured out his heart. And he cried. The Bible says he wept bitterly, which means he cried really hard.

Here is something important. It's okay to cry when you pray. Hezekiah was a king, and he cried. God doesn't want you to hide your feelings from him. You can tell God when you're sad, scared, or hurting.

Then God sent a message back through Isaiah. “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.” God saw every single tear. And God healed Hezekiah and gave him fifteen more years to live!

Now, God doesn't always answer our prayers in the exact way we hope. Sometimes people we love stay sick for a long time. That can be really hard. If that's happening in your family, it's okay to talk to a grown-up about how you feel.

But here is what is always true. God always hears. God always sees your tears. And God always cares. You are never crying alone.

So when you're sad, you don't have to hide it. Bring your tears to God. He's the one who kneels down beside you and says, “I see you. I'm right here.”

Apply

Pray for someone hurting – Think of someone who is sick or sad right now. Pray for them today, and ask a grown-up to help you call or text them to say you're praying.

Pray

God, thank you for seeing my tears and hearing my prayers. When I'm sad or scared, help me come to you. Please be close to everyone who is sick or hurting today. In Jesus' name. Amen.