S U F F E R I N G

I pray that you will feel His hand
upon your weary brow;
I pray that in your heart you'll know,
"He loves me here and now."

That even in your suffering,
your courage will not wane;
That you will be reminded that
He knows your every pain.

Your prayers are kept before His throne,
your tears in His bottle are sealed;
Soon the battle will be over,
every lingering illness healed.

Relax in His strong and loving arms --
in your weakness, His strength will prevail.
He'll carry you onward to victory,
for His promises never fail!

"Thou hast taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Thy bottle:
Are they not in Thy book?" (Psalm 56:8)

Note: Sometimes, in olden days in the East, mourners would catch their tears in bottles (water skins) and place them at the tombs of their loved ones.   David wrote Psalm 56 when he was seized by the Phillistines; in it, he reiterates his trust in the Lord in all circumstances, ending with:
"For Thou hast delivered my soul from death.  Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God in the light of the living."