Ah! So THAT'S Where That's At!

As much as I love Scripture and the study of God’s Word; as much as I have “hidden it in my heart”; as much as I desire to “walk before the Lord in the land of the living”, still, I am not very good at “chapter and verse.”

I know “what” it says - I just may not be able to tell you where to find it. (Thank goodness for “search functions!”)

This week as I come to Psalm 56 in my “weekly study” of the Psalms, once again I find myself saying, “So that’s where that’s at!”

Psalm 56 is titled “A psalm of David, regarding the time the Philistines seized him in Gath.” You remember Gath - that’s where the “Anakim” lived... you know, the big people. Goliath was from Gath…

Several years after David slew Goliath, he was hiding from Saul, and the place that he went to hide was in Gath - talk about jumping out of the fat into the fire! (You can find this story in 1 Samuel 21.) And this Psalm is his cry for deliverance, and his statement of faith.

The first section of the Psalm records David’s cry in which he says, (verse 3) “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”

And then in verse 8 he says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.”

“You have collected all my tears in Your bottle…” This word for “bottle” is not some little ointment bottle, or perfume bottle, but the word for a wineskin; a big bottle. He has them all - every silent whimper, every wail, every body-shaking sob - He has them all!

Last week I gave the message at a funeral for a church member. (See previous post) In it I read the words to the song, “Does Jesus Care?” And we saw that yes, He does!

May He bless and comfort you today.

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Refrain

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed,
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Refrain

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Refrain:
Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary,
the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.