Psalm 56:8 – Put thou my tears in thy bottle 

It was an ancient custom for mourners to collect their tears in a bottle which was shed for the departed soul. They would later visit the grave and place their tear bottles as memorials of their love. Tear bottles have been found in many of the ancient tombs throughout the Middle East.  

The title above the Psalm, indicates that it was a rough period in David’s life when he fled from King Saul only to be captured by the marauding Philistines. He sought the Lord with anguish and pain and his prayers and tears were numerous.  

During his imprisonment in the Philistine territory, David did not have a tear bottle of his own. Thus, he prayed and asked the Lord to store his tears in His bottle. In other words, he believed that God would record his sufferings, not forget his tears and mercifully reward him soon. 

Seeking God and crying out for help with tears running down his cheeks seems to have been David’s regular prayer time. In Psalm 6, David wrote that every night his bed was flooded with tears and his couch was drenched by his weeping (V4). 

While Jesus visited Simon’s home for a meal, a woman washed Christ’s feet with her tears – which was meaningful to her as well as Jesus. 

It would be blissful when God shall wipe away all tears (Revelations 21:4) from the eyes of His loved ones and there shall no longer be tears or a need for tear bottles!