He speaks 'cry' ...

Earlier this week, my friend and I were chatting about the Christian walk. We were discussing how it appeared that everything you prayed for as a new Christian got responded to quickly and affirmatively but how that does not appear to be the case once you have some years of walking in faith.

My best attempt to reconcile this was to liken it to when my children were babies. I knew that they were completely dependent upon me and unable to fend for themselves. They would cry, and I would respond, quickly and affirmatively. I learned what the different cries meant.

There was a cry that meant ‘Change me’ and there was the cry that meant ‘Feed me’ and the cry that meant ‘Burp me, please … I am about to explode!’  There was the cry that said ‘I’m sleepy’ and, of course, there was the cry that simply meant ‘Please hold me ... I just need to know you are near.’ 

They would cry and I would respond. That was my job as a loving parent. However, there was also a point where they had to use the language that I taught them and they would have to verbalize what they needed/desired before they would receive. They had to grow up.

It was a great discussion on spiritual maturity. However, God always has something else in store. He always keeps me balanced. Therefore, even as I talked about the need for maturity as a Christian, He let me know that He is still that same loving parent – despite the fact that he calls us to mature.

Wednesday was not a good day for me. I received a terrible report – one which sent me reeling and almost caused me to faint. However, the LORD caught me and pulled me back to center, reminding me who He is and what He has said. And He let me know that He cares for me so deeply. And as I listened this week to a speaker online, that intense love that He has for me captivated me.

Redemption World Outreach Ministries had a conference this week. It was their ‘Kingdom Momentum’ conference this week and the guest speaker for Wednesday was Sheryl Brady. It was powerful! She shared her heart about the overwhelming love and presence of God. And something happened at the 50:58 mark of the video clip when she said these words … 'He even understands what the tear meant that rolled down your face in the middle of the night across the bridge of your nose onto your pillow … He hears and He knows. He knows what you’re saying and He knows what you’re not saying…’

Those words arrested me and reminded me that, even though He does require that I grow up and use the language that He gave me, He understands when I cannot utter a word. He knows my heart when I cannot form a word and all I can do is cry. He speaks and understands 'cry', a fact that is powerful yet not entirely surprising. We are made in His image afterall. As a mom I could understand the cries of my children because I am crafted in the image of God who speaks and understands 'cry'.

Indeed, He knows the meaning of every tear, every sob and every sigh. And when I weep, shedding more tears that can be counted (by me), crying what becomes a flowing stream or river, He sees each individual tear and can tell what each one represents. Then He responds.

I am so thankful that Mother’s Day is this weekend. I have a wonderful mom and God has privileged me with the awesome responsibility of being a mom. However, more than that, I am thankful that I have a Father, my Heavenly Father, who loves me and knows me and understands me even when I revert to being a child. He hears my cries and He knows what each one means without me speaking a word.

• He knows the cry that begs ‘Change me … I cannot change myself’
• He translates the cry which says ‘I am hungry for YOU … please feed me'
• He understands the cry that screams ‘I am about to explode!’
• He knows that one tear that says ‘I am so tired I don't know what to do’
• He comprehends the river of tears which whisper ‘I need You to hold me, to know that you are not only near, but here.'

I love that about Him! And today I want to encourage you. If all you can do is cry, if you wonder if He sees that one solitary tear, when you ponder whether He knows what it means ... take confidence that He knows and He cares and He is attending to every need.

He cares for that which concerns you (I Peter 5:7) and He loved us all so much that He sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16). He speaks every language under heaven and He speaks and understands ‘cry’.