Tears for joy

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126

Exile is not fun. The Israelites, God’s chosen people, I think it’s fair to say, a proud people, were forced into exile in Babylon. By force they were separated from their homeland and the places that were important to everything they believed. They mourned and wondered if God had given up on them.

There are times of exile that we go through in our lives. There are times when we seem far away from where we thought we’d be. There are times when we feel like we’re on our own or when things just don’t make sense.

This Psalm reminds us that there are hard times like that – but that those seasons of exile will come to a close. The next season is coming, a new season is coming. Now as we start to feel the air warming up and the days starting to stretch we know that Spring is ever so close, we also know that Winters of exile will pass away.

I wonder if during their exile, they ever thought they’d sing such a song – truly a song of joy. They came back proclaiming God’s power and faithfulness as their joy overflowed. There is hope that those in exile will return and that those who mourn will laugh.

When in the middle of a Winter season, it is easy to wonder what the point of it is. We can be encouraged that they came back, “carrying sheaves.” Even though they couldn’t see it or feel it during Winter, the seed was in the ground, in good soil, waiting for its time to break through to fruition. We cannot see with our eyes what God is planning to reveal in the next season. But we can hope, believing that Winter is indeed a productive season.

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

Don’t just cry tears – sow them! If you are in a Winter season, a season that feels like an exile – be encouraged. Know that your tears are not wasted and that your time of difficulty is not in vain. God is faithful in every season, whether we can see the evidence or not.

Invest your tears in pursuit of God. Dig deep in difficult times, knowing that your hunger for Him will always and ultimately be satisfied. When everything else feels like a mess, focus on Him – He does not change, He will always be with you, and His plan for you is good.

Invest your tears in real growth in your character. It’s more than a cliché. God uses these times to make the changes that we can’t see until the next season when we start to see their fruit. It is in these times that He can move the furniture around in our soul and prepare us for the next stage in our pursuit of Him.