God never gives evil the last word! Jeremiah 31 points to the future hope of the return of God’s people after the Babylonian captivity. Bitter tears encourage us to long for the days when God will make all things right. As Jeremiah 31 comes to a close, God makes one of the most important promises in the entire Bible regarding the New Covenant, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Thios helps us understand the value and purpose of the bitter tears. They motivate us to acknowledge the brokenness of our sin-cursed … READ MORE

I grew up watching John Wayne movies, where the ultimate man would not allow an injury to keep him from accomplishing his task. Yet what is a person to do when we feel hurt, disappointed, wounded, or broken? I have come to understand that the surprising answer in the Bible comes from the significant number of times the word “bitter” is used to describe our tears. In tandem with learning the art of biblical lament our Lord invites us to discover the place of bitter tears. David was a warrior of warriors, yet he is often seen in the psalms as a man of tears, and who shares his pain to the Lord. This is not to say that tears are the key to overcoming sinful expressions of bitterness. We must understand that we each process our emotions differently, and the last thing we want to do is advocate legalistic expectations. We read these words in Psalm 6:6-7 concerning David, “I am worn out with my groaning; All night long I flood my bed with weeping, I drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; They fail because of my foes”. (NIV). Understand that Bitter tears can … READ MORE

The Bible tells the story of two brothers. From conception they were rivals, they were twins at birth; but never were two men more different. One was a “real man” he was a hunter, and outdoorsman. He was not committed to any one thing, but lived his life one day at a time. He did nothing that did not please him, but only did what he believed would get him the immediate results that craved. The other man, sort of a “momma’s boy.” He was careful and calculating to a fault. He carefully attempted to manipulate all circumstances to bring about the outcome that would best benefit him. Both men were living contrary to the Lord, but one man at least had a vision for what God might offer. This account is found in the book of Genesis. What made Jacob benefit from God’s offer? It was the Grace of God. Even Jacob’s name means, “schemer or manipulator”, there is nothing in Jacob that would manifest goodness. Yet, it is the Grace of God that permits both young men the opportunity to be born into the line of Abraham. Jacob does not turn to God because of his goodness, He … READ MORE