You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
Psalm 56:8-11 (ESV)

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During our drive home on a narrow, two-lane highway, my wife and a friend chatted between the passenger seat and the back seat. As we began a downhill stretch, I made a move into the opposite lane to pass a Mack Truck. As I drew up on its left, gravity caused the truck to speed up, matching my speed. Wide-eyed, I watched as the oncoming traffic got closer and closer. I felt trapped. I was not able to pass. Blurring cars ahead. I surrendered out loud, “Oh God! Help me!” In that moment, the truck seemed to pause, and I slipped my mini-van in front of its tall, chrome bumper. “Whew, that was an answer to prayer,” I said out loud in great relief. “Did something happen?” both asked.

Today’s verses from the Psalms tell us that David, when evading King Saul, cried out to God. Asking for reassurance, he demonstrates to God that he remembers His words:  “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” He tells God you know me and my troubles: fighting a lion to save sheep, facing Goliath, and dodging Saul’s spear. David lays it all out before God. He  survives and eventually becomes king and through his line of descendants Jesus is born.

I was struck with the thought that there is no person who knows all that I have gone through. Neither my parents, my wife of 53 years, nor my children. Nor do I know about all their sufferings and traumas. But I was comforted by David’s words. My tears of anguish, and yours too, are metaphorically preserved by our loving God. He knows our ways from before birth through all of life.

God knows our entire life like no one else. Let’s take comfort in that when trials and tribulations happen. Remember to cry out, “Oh God! Help me!” Then, be confident like David was. 

Next Steps

We can walk with the Lord as David did and as Jesus did when he prayed to the Father. Jesus prayed in solitude, in times of grief (remember Lazarus) and with His final words on the cross. What are some ways you can walk with the Lord in prayer?