Two-minute read.
Psalm 126 reflects a time when God restored His people after their captivity, something that felt surreal to them, like a dream. After many tears, they experienced joy. A deeply human experience, the psalmist pairs sorrow in the present with a promise for the future, both tender and powerful, reminding us that the Lord doesn’t waste our pain.
On April 1st, I began work on “Walking with Joy,” and the bottom fell out of my world. A life-long mentor passed away the very morning I began writing about joy. One event unfolded after another, bringing tears to my eyes and questions to my heart that had no answers. I spent nights wrestling with the Lord, crying out to Him in pain. And then, I would wake up and write about His joy that gives us strength.
Transformation occurs one day at a time.
Every morning, as I persevered through the valley, God met me in it. Sowing seeds of faith with my tears, I trusted that something unseen took place beneath the surface. I tried to consistently do the right thing, not taking it out on other people, but trusting the Savior in my pain, not passively suffering but actively trusting.
God promises a harvest will come, not just relief, but a joy that sings, expressive, full, and undeniable. The Lord doesn’t merely replace sorrow; He transforms it. The same ground that received tears becomes the place where joy rises. However, before the joy comes, we will have seasons of weeping and faithful endurance.
Tears don’t mark the end of a chapter; they plant the seeds of future joy. Our heavenly Father captures every tear, He honors every act of faith, and promises that what we sow in tears, we will harvest in joy.
Don’t give up. Keep doing the next right thing. Wait with anticipation for what the Lord will do.
Reflection:
Where are you “sowing in tears” right now—and what might it look like to trust God with that season?
Joy Thought:
God grows something beautiful from what feels broken.
