Keep Sowing.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”
Psalm 126:5-6
My dad and I often joke about finding sermon analogies in everyday life. One time, we were on the road when a storm came out of nowhere. It blurred our vision and left us practically blind on the road. It brought traffic to a halt. It was loud and distracting. For a second we paused and pulled over to try to wait it out, but that didn't work. The rain kept pounding and the wind kept pushing. We decided to keep going, discovering that the storm was significantly less heavy only a few miles away. As the sun started to shine, my dad said, “And that's why you have to keep going.”
This psalm is your reminder to keep going. It is written with the exiled children of God in mind. For years, the Bible follows the story of God's people and there is no rarity of trials: they experience persecution, slavery, pain, guilt, shame, dark nights, and cold cells. The Bible doesn't excuse God's children from challenging moments, but it does promise resolution. The Israelites are stolen from their home and exiled to a strange land. Finally, they are set free from their oppression. Psalm 126 says it’s like a dream. They sing for joy and are filled with laughter. Others witness how far God brought them and celebrate with them. But out of their celebration comes an interesting statement of wisdom. From their traumatizing experience comes an understanding we can use to ease the pain as we round the final corner of our heartbreaking situations. The psalmist says, “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.” They continue and say, “they may weep as they go to plant their seed but they sing as they return with the harvest.” While weapons may hit you, they won't kill you. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy will come in the morning. The Israelites are able to look back on their lives and notice an interesting principle that stands true today: God turned their sorrow into joy.
While your situation may honestly be trash now, I want to remind you that that is not the end. I promise you everything the devil meant to knock you down with will be used to speed you up. The Israelites are able to look back on their lives and realize that the work they did through the storm wasn't in vain. They are able to look back on their lives and see that God has turned their seeds into a harvest. God has turned their mourning into dancing and their sorrow into joy (Psalm 30). They’re able to see that the trials of the past were small potatoes—as the message version puts it—in comparison to their present triumphs (2 Corinthians 4:17).
As you are going through your storm, I want you to remember that none of your pain will be wasted. Everything the devil sent for evil will be used for good. The things that hurt you will end with healing. It will all be used as seeds for your harvest. The hard conversations with your boyfriend or girlfriend will result in the intimate partnership you dreamed of. The taxing medical school journey will end in you being the inspiration for others. The healing journey you're on will bloom into something more beautiful than you can fathom. The hard work will pay off. The trial will result in fulfillment. The dreams God has given you aren't there for nothing. This will be something beautiful. God will continue to turn your situation around for you.
Steve Harvey says, “If you're going through hell, keep going. Why would you stop there?” Hurt is real. Pain is real. Stress is real. They seem to destroy parts of us, but why would you stop there?
This journey of walking with hurt isn’t easy. However, the best views come after the worst storms. Jesus is sitting in your pain with you and he feels it. The Bible says Jesus has felt our pain but desires to bring us out into healing. Allow room for healing. Even if you can't imagine what healing may look like or what better may be, I’m praying you will have the faith to know it’s possible! Keep going with Him. Keep sowing. The ice will melt away. The sun will shine again.
The joy it may feel impossible for you to even imagine right now is coming. Please reach out your hand and try Jesus. The Bible says whoever calls out in the name of the Lord will be saved. Not may, or might, or sometimes. There’s nothing to lose, except the mourning, sickness, pain, tears, guilt, shame, depression, low self-esteem, brokenness, and loneliness you are trapped under. Please don't stop in the middle of the storm. Keep going. Trust Him to pull you out and through. Just don't stop. Don’t stop in hell. Go through it.
I’m asking that you trust God to not just sustain you but send the right people to walk with you. I've felt the pain but I've also felt His presence. I've experienced hurt but I've also experienced healing. I’ve come too far to give up now, there is peace with Jesus.
Will you try Him with me?
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