#168: Gift of Tears with CJ Hitz

I recently finished a little book that, that first came across Shelley's hands, a little book called the Gift of Tears by Corey Russell. And very simple book, each chapter pretty short. I think the whole thing was maybe 90 pages. But it got me thinking about our own tears. And how many of you have have cried tears of different varying levels in even just the last year. And those tears could originate from different places in your life. But I was struck by where our tears can lead as we cry tears of different emotions, even from our own failures. And specifically, I want to just read a couple verses regarding Peter and the tears that he wept out of his failure in denying his Lord and just briefly mention how our tears can lead to somewhere powerful. But in Luke 22, verse 31, Jesus actually said to Peter, he said, simon.

Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers. Now, first of all, I just want to say that isn't it heartwarming to know that Jesus is praying for each of us? I believe that with all my heart that it wasn't just Peter here. I believe, and we know that Jesus intercedes at the right hand of the Father for each of us. But you have Jesus in your corner praying for you, knowing that in some way, shape or form, you and I are going to fail.

That doesn't mean we wake up and say we want to fail today. It just means it happens. We fail. We're not perfect. We go through struggles. We don't accomplish what we want to. Sometimes in one way, shape or form, we may deny our Lord in the way we live our lives. But we read here that not only is Jesus praying for Peter, but he's actually already looking ahead and saying, oh, by the way, when you repent, and then it will happen, you're going to repent, Peter.

Which is more confidence than you and I have in ourselves. Sometimes the hopefulness of Jesus that he already knows we're going to come back. Why? I'll first of all say that it's because of his prayers, but he's also calling us to join him in those prayers which we're doing here in these war rooms. But now let me skip all the way down to verse 62. Again, this is Luke chapter 22. Peter has already failed his Lord. He has denied Jesus three times, just like Jesus said he would. The rooster crowed. And now it says here that after Peter had denied his Lord, after He denied three times that he even knew Jesus. After walking around for three years, he so quickly denies him three times. But in verse 62, it says, and Peter left the courtyard weeping bitterly. And I don't know if you and I can fully grasp what that must have been like in those three days.

From the time that Jesus was executed.

Was buried, and would stay in that tomb until he was raised three days later, what agony Peter must have gone through in those three days. But I think you and I, though our situation is different. I think you and I can relate to weeping bitter tears at different times in our lives in different forms. And. And what I want to say is this, regarding our tears. They're not a waste, by the way. And God does keep our tears. We read that in Psalms. We also read in Revelation that our tears are important, that they don't go overlooked. But I love how the author put it. He says, 50 days after weeping bitterly, the Lord took Peter's tears and formed the first apostolic message of the church. Through him, 3,000 people were cut to the heart on the day of Pentecost, and they gave their lives to Jesus in response to Peter's message. 50 days.

Isn't it amazing what can happen in 50 days? And I just want to say this, that your tears could lead to something so powerful that even within 50 days, a short amount of time that you could have never imagined. And by the way, a while back, we talked about another accomplishment that happened in 50 days. It actually happened in 52 days. It was the building of that wall, rebuilding of that wall, that Nehemiah headed up the construction in an amazing feat that scholars say should have taken 10 years, took 52 days. Never underestimate what can happen when God is figured into the economy here in terms of the time frame.

And I'll close with this, we need Peter's. You and I, whose tears of past failure have become the message of hope and deliverance for us today.

Your tears, my tears. And I want to encourage us to ask the Lord for tears of compassion, tears of agony, for what we desire to do for the Lord in our writing, wailing for the things that maybe we have looked back on, we say, you know what? Yes, I did fail. Yes, I have fallen short in what God's called me to. But out of that, a tear or tears of agony, bitter tears that lead to a repentance, saying, lord, would you use me? Would you take my tears and would you soften the hardened hearts of others around the world through my writing? Your tears could lead to something that could be a breakthrough for others and dare I say, 3,000 people coming to the Lord in one way, shape or form, through your books, through your blog posts, through your social media posts, whatever it may be, your words have the potential, combined with your tears.

Of God being able to take that and use it in ways you never even imagined, perhaps even within 50 days of hitting that publish button. So I just want to say that, yes, we're all different, we're all crying different tears, but let your tears lead to something that only God could get the credit for. And so with that, as we pray, I even want to begin, and I'll even begin this by asking the Lord to give us tears that well up from a deep place within us. So, Father, I ask specifically that you would give each of us tears. Tears of joy, yes, but also tears that arise out of a place where, yes, we have denied you, Lord, yes, we have failed you. But we want these tears to lead to a repentance of coming back to you, having that hopefulness. And I ask, Lord, that you give us tears where our eyes have been dry. I think of that great Keith Green song of.

How he mentions, his eyes are dry.

He needed you to wet his eyes to give him fresh tears. And Lord, I just ask that we would have tears that lead to something powerful in our writing, something that originate from your heart and give us a compassion. Break our hearts with the things that break yours. Wet our eyes with tears. In the same way that tears come about in you, Lord, we know that you cried. You wept at different times. And so, Lord, would you do this like only you could do? And we're not talking artificial tears. We're talking real tears that come from the depths of our being. And Lord, as we all pray together for different breakthroughs, may you have your way, Lord, in this time together, this war room that we're agonizing for the things that you desire to do in and through us. And we ask this in Jesus name, amen.