Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. (Psalms 126:5 NASB 1995)                                                                                        

Our tears are like seeds we plant that will lead to joyful shouting.

The commentator Matthew Henry said, “Weeping should never stop our sowing; when we suffer ill, we must continue to do good.” The tears we sow might be for a broken relationship, the sobbing for the suffering of others, or the cries we utter for the salvation of our loved ones. They are like rains soaking into the fallow ground, bringing a bumper crop in due season.

Many Biblical examples saw a harvest of joy after a season of sorrow. Joseph, for instance, experienced rejection and the darkness of a lonely prison but continued to exercise his God-given gifts until God brought him out into the sunshine of the second-in-command of all of Egypt. David, though a loyal servant to King Saul, was accused by him of being a traitor and had to flee to save his life. Yet, he persisted in honor and loyalty to the King until God, in his sovereign will, gave David Saul’s Kingdom. Joseph and David sowed good in times of suffering and reaped blessing and joy.

Some of you reading this are in a season of suffering. It seems long and hard. Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5 NASB 1995). The Bible tells us that our sorrow will end, and if we sow good in our tribulations, the end will not come without great fanfare and joyful shouting.

Whatever we sow in tears, we will reap in joy—though it tarries, wait for it.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]