‘You have a record of my laments.’ The sentence is more vivid in Hebrew: ‘My tears are stored in your wineskin?’ (v. 9). This reflects what professional mourners did. They shed tears on behalf of others and left them at the grave as a sign of grief. But the tears are not professional; God knows that, and they are worth preserving. We can only understand what God thinks of human suffering through his Son, God’s Word to us. When Jesus saw Martha weeping, he began to cry (Jn 11:33-34). Ultimately, God ‘will wipe all the tears away,’ and there will be no more crying (Rev 21:4). It is helpful to pray with this psalm when faced with so much suffering and tears that seem to have no human answer. This is a prayer of the millions oppressed, who live and no doubt will die crushed. ‘You, Lord, have gathered our tears!’