It's very easy to complain. It's easy to imagine that our suffering, our struggles, are unlike any that others have experienced.
It's harder to see, especially in the tough times, that God's blessings are still around, that God remains faithful.
Look now to see what blessings God has in store for you today, especially if you are finding that hard to do.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Psalm 126:4-6
Do you have any farmers in your family? Have you ever done any farming? Most of us, if we have a way to read this website, have not had to spend a day wondering if we would have enough water to drink or water for our crops. Many of us in industrialized countries directly associate how hard we work with the results we get, foolishly leaving God out of the equation.
Farmers, however, are never far removed from God’s direct participation in their work. Can you see the people planting seeds in tears? They were facing real dangers of pests and drought; the act of sowing described here is really an act of faith. Today’s verses aren’t only about farmers though. Think of athletes training in tears of struggle, and students overwhelmed with assignments and exams. Through faith and God’s assistance, they arrive at success, blessed by prayer.
Denise Nickerson-Caudéran
When the work before me is hard, so hard each step brings me to tears, give me the faith to partner with you, the strength to do my part, and the hope in the harvest that will follow. God, remind me that with you, I can cry and still move forward. Amen.
God's blessings are raining down.
Walk with your face lifted up;
Lift your hands also to receive
The gift of God's presence,
The embrace of the One who is near.