What God Collects

I do not know how the collection began, but now there are hundreds of them in my house—snowmen. All different sizes and shapes.

They must be smiling, happy-looking snowmen; what is the point of frowning or sad snowmen? My husband tried to put a moratorium on snowmen, saying no more could enter our home. But it was not like I was buying them. People just kept giving them to me. Most of the year, they are stored in boxes in the basement. But come December, you will find them in every room of my house and decorating my office at work.

Their smiling faces fill our home through the gray winter months, bringing hope and joy. I also have a collection of teacups and teapots.

They fill the antique curio cabinet and corner hutch in our dining room. Almost all are from friends—some even from around the world, such as the adorable teapot from Paris that a friend brought me or the fragile glass teacup from Turkey I brought home from a trip. Each one brings memories of friendship and love, and it reminds me to stop, take a moment, and enjoy a cup of tea and conversation with a friend. What do you collect? Did you know God is a collector too? He collects two things: our tears and our prayers.

Psalm 56:8 tells us that God collects our tears and stores them in His bottle. Not just any bottle—His bottle. He writes down what brought each tear and records it in His book. He sees, and He remembers. Our tears—what brought us pain and what brought us joy—are important to Him. They are precious enough to collect and to remember.

He also collects our prayers. Revelation 5:8 talks about our prayers being stored in “golden bowls” before His throne in heaven (NKJV). You do not put just anything into golden bowls. Only important things. Treasured things.

And God stores our prayers right before Him in gold.

Revelation 8:3–5 tells us there will come a day when God tips these golden bowls and pours them out on the earth with fire. Let this challenge us to fill those golden bowls with prayers for loved ones—prayers of salvation and transformation—for God to collect, treasure, and pour out with power as He moves on hearts and changes lives.

Tamyra Horst