My eyes overflow with tears

My eyes overflow with tears

Scripture:- “My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have been hung on my neck, and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has given me into the hands of those I cannot withstand. Lamentations 1:14

“This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.” Lamentations 1:16

“The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look on my suffering. My young men and young women have gone into exile. Lamentations 1:18
“See, LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death. Lamentations 1:20

Observation: The book of Lamentations is popularly believed to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah. It is a book that depicts the mourning and grief of Jerusalem in a time where she has been ransacked by the armies of Babylon and left destitute and poor. After enduring a terrible siege, most of the people have been taken away into captivity, and there is nothing but grief and sadness in a place once beautiful and renown.

The first verse speaks of sin like a yoke that binds Jerusalem and hangs around her neck, sapping her strength. For each one of us too, when sin is in our lives, it is a yoke that binds us and weighs heavily on us. For those of us who have received our Lord Jesus, the truth has set us free, and we no longer have this yoke of sin over us. How precious it is to be free from the yoke of slavery!  

The second verse pictures Jerusalem weeping uncontrollably. There is no comfort, no restoration. Jerusalem in Lamentations is a picture of the sinner coming to repentance. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Jesus proclaims in the Beatitudes. There are times when we need to let our emotions overflow before God, and our God who sees cares. When Jesus felt the sadness of the people on account of Lazarus’ death, He too wept even though He already knew He would raise him from the dead. 

In the third and fourth verses, we see that there is an understanding in Jerusalem that all these has happened because of her rebellion against the Lord. She is in torment and her heart is disturbed because she has been rebellious. However, her attitude is turning from rebellion to repentance.

Application: Recognize the burden of sin that weighs heavily on us if we do not repent and ask God to forgive us. At times, we may suddenly receive a burden to weep for a church, a nation or a people, like Jesus had when He prophesied over Jerusalem. In those moments, let our tears overflow as the Spirit leads us. In expressing our emotions to God, there is a release of power in the spiritual realm. Arrogance is like the sin of idolatry and rebellion like the sin of divination. We need to constantly check our hearts to see that we do not become arrogant or rebellious towards God in any way. Pride will distance us from God, and may lead us down a road to destruction.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You that on the cross You took my sins, that I might be forgiven. I thank You, Lord, that I am free in you. Help me to be attuned to Your Spirit, to cry out and mourn for the nation that revival may come forth. Forgive me O Lord for the times where I may have been proud or rebellious to You in any way. Create in me a pure heart O God. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.