SOME LAUGH, WHILE OTHERS CRY?

02_03

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4

People cry for different reasons. Some use tears to manipulate others, some cry out of self-pity, while others cry because they are really angry. However, the Lord speaks of a different kind of crying. Jesus spoke of the tears of sadness. These kinds of tears are a reflection of the reality of pain, and are of the sort that are able to reach the hand of God so that He pours out His favor. In the book of Luke we can see the picture of the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair (Luke 7:38). She had received rejection from her community and approached Jesus as her only hope of redemption. With humility, she bowed down at the Lord’s feet and in her brokenness she washed the feet of the Master. With each tear she expressed the pain of her soul for having failed God. Her tears turned into confessions of repentance and the Lord accepted every tear. His response was to forgive every one of her many sins. Jesus knew that if she was forgiven much, then she would love as much. He added, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace” (Luke 7:50).

David expressed it in this way, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). He also asked the Lord to remember his tears so that they could be registered as confessions in his book. “Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?” (Psalm 56:8).

What is the significance of a deep cry like this? The woman didn’t speak a single word. Not one phrase came from her lips, but her prayer spoke more than many words. She did not cry about a financial problem, or an emotional wound. She was not even crying because of depression but her cry came from the pain of having failed God. She did three things that brought total deliverance to her life.

She cried at Jesus’ feet. She kissed Jesus’ feet. She anointed Jesus’ feet.

How is it that there are people who were so close to Jesus, yet they did not get to enjoy the fullness of who He was? This woman was not like them; she knew who Jesus was. She was not going to pass up the opportunity to show the Master how she felt. She knew that He was the only one who could change her life. The alabaster jar of perfume represented her life. She broke it and surrendered it at the feet of Jesus. It was as if she was saying, “Lord, after today, my life is broken into pieces. I empty myself at Your feet. I want to walk with You.” This is why her life was completely transformed.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
I once heard my daughter Johanna share part of her testimony with a group of international leaders. She told them, “For seven years my I longed to have children. It was only when I realized that we needed to unite our need with an offering, that I was able to become pregnant. God has blessed us with our first daughter Shailoh Victoria and a year and two months later, with our second daughter Rachel. This is what I have seen in my parent’s ministry. The principles that they have taught have helped other ministries that have felt sterile to understand the Vision and flourish. We have also seen this in our ministry. As part of my parent’s team of Twelve, we have always been able to stay at the forefront when it comes to growth.

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“God forgave me, blessed me and restored me because with His love, He accepted my offering of brokenness.”

Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume One.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

    • Old Testament: Exodus 7-9; Psalms 26
    • New Testament: Matthew 11:20-30; Acts 16:16-40

SOME LAUGH, WHILE OTHERS CRY?