My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
Tears being meat day and night means grief so constant that weeping continues day and night like food. Tears and prayers can become like food through the night when the heart is grieved for the people of God, the sheep of His pasture, leading to hours of anguished, persistent prayer. That anguish is like being pressed as a cart beneath sheaves, weeping in agony of soul with strong crying and crying aloud to seek the Lord, spending most of the night in prayer with only brief sleep until about two hours remain. The verse describes a spirit continually bowed down by sorrow and loneliness, as felt in fear that a loved one will die.
While suffering, God's people face continual hostile reproach questioning where their God is and whether He is present. That questioning becomes the triumphing cry of nominal Adventists when believers suffer. Satan brings affliction on God's people, such as sickness in a child, to sadden their hearts and give occasion for that mockery and to hinder God's work of sending out truth in the paper, and such affliction is not sent because the child is loved as an idol. The heathen would raise that question when envy, jealousy, and malice divided the church, making its witness a reproach.
The surrounding lines direct the downcast soul to hope in God and expect to praise Him for His help. The verse is set before the discouraged to study instead of looking on the dark side and thinking and talking unbelief. They are called to take troubles to the Lord as a present help in every time of need rather than to human beings for sympathy, because Jesus never disappoints one who comes to Him for help.
Tears being meat day and night means grief so constant that weeping continues day and night like food. Tears and prayers can become like food through the night when the heart is grieved for the people of God, the sheep of His pasture, leading to hours of anguished, persistent prayer. That anguish is like being pressed as a cart beneath sheaves, weeping in agony of soul with strong crying and crying aloud to seek the Lord, spending most of the night in prayer with only brief sleep until about two hours remain. The verse describes a spirit continually bowed down by sorrow and loneliness, as felt in fear that a loved one will die.
While suffering, God's people face continual hostile reproach questioning where their God is and whether He is present. That questioning becomes the triumphing cry of nominal Adventists when believers suffer. Satan brings affliction on God's people, such as sickness in a child, to sadden their hearts and give occasion for that mockery and to hinder God's work of sending out truth in the paper, and such affliction is not sent because the child is loved as an idol. The heathen would raise that question when envy, jealousy, and malice divided the church, making its witness a reproach.
The surrounding lines direct the downcast soul to hope in God and expect to praise Him for His help. The verse is set before the discouraged to study instead of looking on the dark side and thinking and talking unbelief. They are called to take troubles to the Lord as a present help in every time of need rather than to human beings for sympathy, because Jesus never disappoints one who comes to Him for help.