Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. (Psalm 126:5)
I wrote in a recent Grace for the Race article that Scripture tells us that God collects all our tears in His bottle; I would add to that thought that this means that none of those tears are wasted. Today’s verse shows us that tearful times are sowing times, because dry ground is not suitable for reaping a harvest.
What a word of encouragement and comfort we have before us today! God has promised a harvest through times when our hearts are hurting. Tearful times provide much needed moisture for the soil of the sanctified life.
You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase, “Keep a stiff upper lip.” By nature, we have a tendency to collect ourselves, to shrink back from shedding tears in order to make a better presentation to the watching world. But in God’s economy, it is in those tearful times when our hearts are hurting that we must redouble our sowing efforts. If we do, we can be sure that we will reap a bountiful harvest with songs of unimaginable joy. And know this, we are never more like our Lord Jesus Christ than when we are weeping. You will remember that Jesus wept, and when He did, He did not stop his sowing, because He knew that sowing in tears would lead to reaping in joy. There is always a harvest for the hurting heart that is yielded to the perfect plan of God.
There are many things in this life that bring us to tears. We have been promised trouble all the way into glory, and our march will be marked by the salt stains of our tears. But when our eyes are dimmed by tears, we must remember that they are setting the stage for a bountiful harvest that we will reap in due season. Remember, weeping is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it is a witness to the One who is planting every tear into the ground of your promised land that will one day soon produce songs of joy.
Never forget what the psalmist said: “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). The Scriptures make it clear that desperation always precedes deliverance. So regardless of what it is you are currently facing, tearful times and hurting hearts always produce a holy harvest of supernatural joy.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 