“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:5-6
This passage has been a refuge for me at times, but the focus was always on the sorrow not the sowing. This morning it struck me differently. I’m drawn into the thought of continuing in labor, even though all seems lost, even though by outward appearances and inward emotion it would seem unreasonable to persevere. To be proactive in times of despair and dryness is one of the most powerful acts of faith I can imagine. To remain faithful in spite of circumstances displays to the world a hope in the One who is fully outside of our circumstances. And there is a promise of harvest coming out of that faithful labor. There isn’t a promise of when or how, but there is a great promise of the quality of the harvest – abundant rejoicing! May we who believe in Christ continue in labor as a display of faith – even when faith seems far, as an act of hope – though hope at times may feel distant, and rely on the faithfulness of God beyond what we can see and feel.
