“Those who sow
in tears shall reap in joy.
He who
continually goes forth weeping,
bearing seed
for sowing, shall doubtless
come again with
rejoicing, bringing
his sheaves
with him.”
Psalm 126:5-6 (NKJV)
My study Bible
indicates that this Psalm rejoices over Israel’s return from exile after the
pain of captivity. It describes reaping a joyful return to the land after
sowing tears of repentance.
Israel was an
agricultural economy, so often the Bible uses analogies that are agricultural
in nature, such as in this psalm. But one commentator I read opined that the
tears and joy in this psalm doesn’t really have anything to do with the sowing
and reaping. It’s not that sowing is a
sorrowful job in itself or that reaping is always joyful. Rather, sowing and
reaping represents the daily work that needs to be done even when we’re sad and
grieving or glad and rejoicing.
For me, this
psalm speaks of tears sown in prayerful intercession and the hope that one day
the fruit of salvation will be reaped in the lives of those for whom I pray.
Even when I don’t actually weep, my heart aches for so many I know and care
about who are lost. And I bear seed for
sowing in that I share God’s word with them and I claim God’s promises when I’m
on my knees in prayer for them.
I’m grateful to
know that He loves them even more than I do and wants them to come to a saving
faith in Jesus. That hope brings me
great comfort and helps me to continue to keep on sowing even while I keep my
hand to the plow with my daily work.
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