REAPING IN JOY

Psa. 126:6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

This passage has special meaning for those who have become involved in the work of The Lord. Obviously, The Lord is talking about more than farms and corn and tomatoes in this verse. He is talking about more than field workers, farm hands, and farm owners. He is talking about the essence of our Christian walk. The Lord is speaking about the law of love, living our lives to see the harvest of souls in the kingdom of God. Have you seen the harvest? Has your heart been awakened to the teeming thousands of lost souls all around us? When that happens you will engage in the rhythm of this Psalm, sowing in tears and reaping in joy. Here are some words from Spurgeon on this wonderful passage.

“He leaves his couch to go forth into the frosty air and tread the heavy soil; and as he goes he weeps because of past failures, or because the ground is so sterile, or the weather so unseasonable, or his corn so scarce, and his enemies so plentiful and so eager to rob him of his reward. He drops a seed and a tear, a seed and a tear, and so goes on his way. In his basket he has seed which is precious to him, for he has little of it, and it is his hope for the next year. Each grain leaves his hand with anxious prayer that it may not be lost: he thinks little of himself, but much of his seed, and he eagerly asks, “Will it prosper? shall I receive a reward for my labour?” Yes, good husbandman, doubtless you will gather sheaves from your sowing. Because the Lord has written doubtless, take heed that you do not doubt. You will return to this field — not to sow, but to reap; not to weep, but to rejoice; and after awhile you will go home again with nimbler step than today, though with a heavier load, for you shall have sheaves to bear with you. Your handful shall be so greatly multiplied that many sheaves shall spring from it; and you shall have the pleasure of reaping them and bringing them home to the place from which you went out weeping.”

Part of our salvation experience is becoming aware of the hurting people all around us. Jesus said “Look, the fields are white unto harvest”. Have you seen it yet, have you discovered the real purpose of your salvation? When that moment comes, you enter into the precious life of sowing in tears and reaping in joy. Until that moment of awakening, we are stuck looking for joy in other things. It’s the old forest for the trees thing. When the moment of awakening comes, sowing and reaping becomes our bread and butter. Yep, weeping may last for the night but joy comes in the morning.