{"id":49676,"date":"2001-07-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2001-07-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/god-weeps-for-lost\/"},"modified":"2001-07-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2001-07-30T00:00:00","slug":"god-weeps-for-lost","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/god-weeps-for-lost\/","title":{"rendered":"God Weeps for the Lost"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A Hasidic story tells of a great celebration in heaven after the Israelites are delivered from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, and the Egyptian armies are drowned. The angels are cheering and dancing. Everyone in heaven is full of joy.<\/p>\n\n<p>Then one of the angels asks the archangel Michael, &quot;Where is God? Why isn&#39;t God here celebrating?&quot;<\/p>\n\n<p>Michael answers, &quot;God is not here because he is off by himself weeping. 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