Sowing Tears, Reaping Joy

Psalm 126

Psalm 126 ESV

A Song of Ascents. 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! 6 He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Context: 1-4

It begins with a thorough reflection on the condition. The Israelite people look back and remember a better time, when their bellies were full, when they were full of joy, when they were respected.

Streams in the Negeb- Negeb was a barren dessert. They described their situation as just that! Dead, lifeless, hopeless…longing for God to show up and restore.

Condition:

Humble assesment of the world- Expect some pain, expect some dry times, expect tears! We don’t know spiritually where they were, whether this was punishment, or not. But there does not appear to be repentance here. It just seems to be people who are serving God, in a tough time, longing for better.

Lets dispell this notion that Christians have made which is, if I love the Lord, and do the right things, my life will pain free. That there will be no tears. There will be seasons where our lives seem like a desert. There will be seasons wehre our hearts break, even if we do everything right, but the writer encourages us with a sobering and transforming truth.

He compares it to a farmer and he offers us this:

Sowing good seed by hard toil will bring a great harvest.

Growing up on the fields: Wake up early, vegetable garden. It was always worth it to see the harvest.

Good Seed

Galatians 6:7–8 NIV

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary g. Sowing and Reaping (6:7–10)

‘Make no mistake about this: you cannot turn up your nose at God. A person will harvest exactly what he sows. I mean that the person who sows as his own nature bids him will reap a harvest of corruption from that nature; but the person who sows as the Spirit bids him will reap from that Spirit a harvest of life eternal

What you sow will grow. We sow by what we say, and do, so if we follow our flesh, it will bring death, but if we surrender to the spirit, we will live. So it begins, with the right seed.

The Word (The Gospel)

Matthew 13:18–23 NIV

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Carry the word--->Plant the word

Being a believer comes down to carrying the word, and planting the word.

Simply put, you can’t sow what isn’t in you. You have to get the word in you.

Psalm 119:11 NIV

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

You are not going to be able to make it dry seasons and in tough times without the word of God! It has to be in you. It has to take root in your own heart. It has to something we love and treasure! The Joy of God begins with the word of God in you!

But you know the farmer doesn’t just have a harvest because of the seed he carries on the field, it has to be planted.

Simply put, the word should change you, but how well are we taking that word and investing it again into others. Its not enough to be able to quote scripture, we have to share scripture with them. Its not enough to just come to bible study and hear the word..we have to share what we learn with those in our word and in our lives. Its not enough to hear a message and say man thats a good word, it is now up to us to share it! To plant it!

I love the iilustration of a sower because I think it challenges the way we view what being a Christian is. It is not the farmer who has the most seed, but who plants the most seed who will read the harvest. It is not the Christian who knows the most bible, but who is actively sharing what they do know! To sit on the word God has given, come to church every week and go without telling somebody about Jesus, sharing some truth about Jesus, praying with somebody, teaching somebody about our God..is a waste of the resource He has given.

Righteousness

Hosea 10:12 ESV

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

So we sow good seed not just in what we say, but in how we live.

The word of God transforms us, makes us new, and we should look more like Jesus.

The word of God shouldn’t just transform us either. Who around you has become more like God fromt he way you live and seed you sow? You can tell how the word is transforming you because it will begin to tranform those around you too!

Hard Toil

Weeping

“Sow in tears”- There is no getting around it. Any good sower will shed tears. The tears we shed are what we water with.

We weap for the harvest. We weap becuase of the pain.

Acts 20:17–21 NIV

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Our heart must break for those lost around us.

Whens the last time you cried over the lost? We have to be willing to cry with people, meet peopel where they are. Even to put our necks out there on the line for others.

It is hard to keep loving people, remaining faithful, sacrificing. As a matter of fact Jesus says I send you out as sheep among wolves. He says take up your cross. You set out following Jesus there will be difficult days ahead. But the good news is that our joy is assured!

Jesus himself wept and was a man of tears. Went through heartache and pain.

Enduring

Galatians 6:8–10 ESV

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Here is the good news..if you will but keep sowing. Keep coming to church. Keep loving. Keep teaching. Keep forgiving. Even when its painful. Even after those tearful nights.

Jesus says don’t give up.

If you can get Jesus, if you can trust Him in the pain, if you can keep serving and giving your life for Him..you will reap joy.

You will return home with Joy. With a harvest!

Jesus himself is the seed! Planted and buried for you and me. Rising again unto his father.

“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16).