Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6
Psalm 126
We don’t know what was going on for the people of Israel, but the psalmist tells us that tears were flowing freely. It might have been some personal illness or tragedy or more likely some communal disaster, but prayers were being offered for restoration. The Lord had heard their pleas in the past and there were high hopes for the present. It would be like they experienced every year in their fields. Seeds would be planted, rain would fall, and the harvest would be good – it was a reassuring rhythm that brought hope in times of pain.
It’s the same feeling that people of faith have always had when disaster strikes. There are always tears – we can’t help but allow them to flow freely – and there’s an almost endless supply. But our sadness is also a time for planting the seeds of hope, and as our tears fall into the fertile soil of faith, hope germinates and begins to grow, and as that green blade rises, restoration and resurrection come, and the bountiful harvest fills our hearts with joy. That’s the rhythm of life that has been around from the beginning, and it’s repeated again and again in every season, in every time of sorrow. Our God is good and gracious, and full of compassion, and no tear falls to the ground without bearing fruit.
Thought for the Day: When have I cried the most?
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