My sweet sister in the Lord, Joyce, shared this scripture with me last week. It gives one a lot to think about.

"May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy!
He that goes forth weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him."

Psalm 125-6


John Piper says that there is nothing sad about sowing, so why are they weeping? He states it's not the sowing, it's that the sowing needs to be done even if there are things in life that make us cry. That's the way of life. I do not feel like it, but I will take my bag of seeds and go out in the field and do my crying while I do my duty. I will sow in tears. If I do, the promise is that "you will reap with shouts of joy." Not because the tears produce the joy of reaping, but because the sheer sowing produces the reaping, and you need to remember this even when your tears tempt you to give up sowing.

The lesson according to Piper: When there are simple, straightforward jobs to be done and you are full of sadness, and tears are flowing easily, go ahead and do the jobs with tears. Say, "Tears, I feel you. You make me want to quit life. But there is a field to be sown (dishes to wash, car to be fixed, sermon to be written.) You'll just have to go with me as I take my bag of seeds to sow. I know it will not last forever. The very fact that I do my work will in the end bring a harvest of blessing."


This is a very loose summary of Piper's explanation of the above verses. To see it in its entirety, go to his website desiringGod.org. You'll be blessed!

(the above image is "The Corn Harvest", by Breugel)