Daily Devotional | The Tears of the Oppressed

You’re human, so I know you’ve experienced difficulties in life. I also imagine that at some point you’ve confided in someone else about a struggle or difficult time you’re going through. I have a few of those go-to people when  I’m really struggling, including my wife and my childhood best friend. They always offer comfort  and hope when I can’t see my way forward. But before they offer comfort, they will stop and acknowledge the struggle itself. “Man, I hate that, Russ,” they’ll say. Or “Yeah, that stinks.”  Recognizing the reality of life’s struggle helps us navigate it well.

In Ecclesiastes 4, the Teacher acknowledges the reality of suffering in the world. He looks at the world with clear eyes and tells the truth about what he sees: There is oppression, those who are  oppressed are often without comfort, and power is on the side of the oppressors (v. 1). Though he does not act to alleviate the oppression, nor “call out” the oppressors, nor even directly offer comfort himself, his simple acknowledgment of suffering and difficulty is a breath of fresh air.

In his pain, the Psalmist cried out, “Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?” (Ps. 56:8). The psalms reassure us that God sees and notes our troubles. He is also our safe place of retreat and protection. In Psalm 9:9 we read, “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” In the same manner, Ecclesiastes 4 reminds us that the Lord sees us in our difficulty. Knowing that God saw your trial may not immediately alleviate your suffering, but it can give you hope. God really does see you, and He understands the difficulty you walk through. He loves you.

Go Deeper

Have you experienced the simple act of someone acknowledging your pain? How can you offer to someone else that same act of loving by listening and really hearing them?

Pray with Us: Lord Jesus, You cried over Jerusalem and over the death of Your friend Lazarus. You see our tears and pain, and You understand. Our trials are not unnoticed, and that gives us hope and great comfort. You are indeed our refuge and strength!

BY Dr. Russell L. Meek

Russell Meek teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Moody Theological Seminary. He writes a regular column on understanding and applying the Old Testament at Fathom Magazine, and his books include Ecclesiastes and the Search for Meaning in an Upside-Down World and the co-authored Book-by-Book Guide to Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary. Russ, his wife, and their three sons live in northern Idaho.