Let Your Tears Flow

Nehemiah was not afraid of emotion or reluctant to show it. Notice that he “wept and mourned.” Some people refuse to exhibit any kind of outward emotion, which is not healthy. Pent-up feelings are harmful and need to be released. If we do not release our emotions at appropriate times, as Nehemiah did when he heard the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed, our emotions will eat away at us on the inside.

Stuffing or suppressing our feelings can also cause physical problems such as sleep troubles and digestive issues. Perhaps you have heard of people who went to the doctor because they felt so bad and were convinced something was wrong with them. Once they went through all kinds of medical tests, the doctor found nothing and simply said their symptoms were related to anxiety. Our emotions will always manifest in some way, so it’s best for us to deal with them before they deal with us.

God created us with tear glands and the ability to cry, which must mean there will be times in life when we, like Nehemiah, need to weep. The Old Testament woman, Hannah, wept and even stopped eating because she was brokenhearted over not having a child (1 Samuel 1:7).

When David and the men with him discovered the Amalekites had burned the city of Ziklag and taken everyone in it captive, they raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep (1 Samuel 30:4 ESV). David also wept when his son became deathly ill (2 Samuel 12:21–22). Even Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35).

Tears are certainly part of the process of healing in our soul. God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah: Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the LORD (Lamentations 2:19 ESV). This assures us that God wants us to bring our pain to Him. We can tell Him everything about it, holding nothing back. He knows it all anyway but getting it out in the open is very helpful to us.

Though it is important to express our deep feelings through tears at times, God did not create us to remain in a season of weeping indefinitely. There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh… (Ecclesiastes 3:4 ESV). God’s Word promises us that Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5 NKJV). No matter what you are going through right now, ask God to help you deal with it in a healthy way. Cry when you need to, but always remember that the season of sadness will come to an end. As you walk with God, He will lead you into great joy.

Prayer of the Day: Father, teach me to release my emotions, just as Nehemiah did. Help me find healing through expressing my feelings, as I trust in Your promise of joy, amen.