Today’s reading is Psalm 126.
Our pilgrim psalmist is in a dry time. He has experienced restoration in the past. He recalls the laughter and joy of those times. However, in his present situation he begs for restoration again. The laughter and joy have diminished. The flood of blessings have waned. There is more woe than weal (those who listen to Text Talk know what I’m talking about here). He begs the Lord restore his fortunes like streams in the Negeb. My understanding is these dried up stream beds in the south would not simply fill in the rainy season. When they did, it would be something akin to a flash flood. They did not slowly fill as more and more rain over several weeks saturated the land. Overnight, the floods would flow through these wadis and bless the land with growth and vegetation. The pilgrim’s prayer is not simply for blessing to increase, but for it to happen suddenly and overwhelmingly.
Yesterday, we recognized the pilgrim’s first step for tying the knot in his rope and hanging on to God. He looked back. He remembered the past blessings. We have tacitly recognized the second step: pray. He sandwiches this all-important second step by looking back before it and then looking ahead after. He remembered past blessings, he prayed, then he envisioned the future blessings he was sure God would bring.
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:5-6 (ESV)
I may be mistaken here, but I don’t think the pilgrim’s metaphor means sowing in tears is prerequisite to reaping with joy. Rather, I believe his point is simply the one who sows even if it is with tears, because of his trust in God, will reap with joy. Not all sowing is in tears. But that is how the psalmist is sowing now.
However, in this statement we see his fourth step, overlapping his third. He continues working despite the tears because he refuses to be distracted by the present moment. Instead, he looks to the end in faith. Based on previous restoration and past blessing, he knows the Lord’s blessing is sure. While sowing, he meditates on the reaping. He knows the work will pay off, not because he is so good at sowing, not because he knows nature is on his side, not because he just knows it will all work out in the end, but because he knows God is with him even in this dry time.
Are you in a dry time? If not, be prepared. It will come. If you are, remember our pilgrim. He has traveled the arduous road from Meshech and Kedar to Jerusalem. There have been great joys along the way. But he also faces dry times. He hangs on to God with this four-step process: 1) Remember past blessings. 2) Pray hard. 3) Envision future blessings. 4) Keep sowing/working.
While this particular psalm does not end by showing God’s response, the first half sets the stage. God does bless His people. He will restore their fortunes. Life on pilgrimage has ups and downs. Sometimes blessings flood, sometimes they trickle, sometimes they dry up. But God is always with us and He will bring restoration.
Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 126.
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PATHS:
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How does Psalm 126 prompt or improve your trust in God?
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