Jim Gallagher

Psalm 126:5-6
“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Genesis, Chapter 1, describes the creation of the universe. We read the earth was without form and void until God spoke, and all things were brought into being. There is a clear contrast between the chaotic state of things before God spoke, and the orderly universe that He designed. Ever since that day, man has been discovering laws that govern the physical world. These laws were designed by God to keep order, and we have learned to trust in them . I believe it was Sir Isaac Newton who was attributed with the quote, “What goes up must come down” in response to his findings about gravity.

Here, the Psalmist speaks of another basic law of nature, the law of sowing and reaping. Scientific laws are formulated by observation and experimentation. The law of sowing and reaping is a principle that is discovered, not in the lab with test tubes, but on the field by farmers. For centuries men have cleared the ground, tilled the soil, planted seeds and awaited the harvest. For centuries men have not been surprised by what they gathered in. If the farmer planted corn seed, he harvested corn, if he planted millet, he harvested millet.

Over and over again, this basic law has been proven throughout the history of mankind. It is the Word of God that brings this same principle out of the natural world and into the spiritual one. When writing to the Galatian believers, Paul declared, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). What is true in the natural world, is also true in the spiritual one. Whatever seed we put in, is the fruit that will come out. If we sow into our lives things that will tantalize the desires of the flesh, we will find that the battle against the flesh will be too great for us to withstand. If we sow into our lives, the building blocks of a healthy relationship with Christ, i.e. daily reading of the Word, prayer, Christian fellowship and service, we will find we are reaping a strong, and vibrant relationship with Christ.

Paul added one more element to the law of sowing and reaping when he declared in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” It is this basic idea that the Psalmist is referring to here. We live in a world where things come to us instantly.

When we are hungry, we take pre-cooked meals, microwave them, and within minutes we are eating. When we want to find the answer to a question, we grab our smart phone, Google it, and within seconds have more answers than we could ever read. In fact, if our device takes more than a few seconds to load, we complain about how slow the connection is, and begin to covet a newer, faster model. We must realize, there are some things that take time. Some things are governed by the law of sowing and reaping. They may take consistent sowing, over a long period of time, before we ever see the desired results.

Personal righteousness, victory over easily besetting sin, and winning loved ones to Christ, are things that often require long periods of faithful sowing. Instead of losing heart, we ought to rejoice in the promise given here,

“Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 126

1. In verse 1 and 2 the psalmist writes about a time when God rescued Israel from captivity.  He tells of the great joy that came from God’s deliverance.  When have you been in “captivity”?  Have you experienced God freeing you from captivity?  Read John 8:36.  Where does our ultimate freedom from captivity come from?
2. Note verse 2.  When people see God’s liberating work in the life of others, how do they respond?
3. Note verse 3.  When we become aware of the great things that God has done for us, how do we feel?
4. Read verse 5-6.  What is the result of faithfulness to God through difficult times?Psalm 126
   1. In verse 1 and 2 the psalmist writes about a time when God rescued Israel from captivity.  He tells of the great joy that came from God’s deliverance.  When have you been in “captivity”?  Have you experienced God freeing you from captivity?  Read John 8:36.  Where does our ultimate freedom from captivity come from?
   2. Note verse 2.  When people see God’s liberating work in the life of others, how do they respond?
   3. Note verse 3.  When we become aware of the great things that God has done for us, how do we feel?
   4. Read verse 5-6.  What is the result of faithfulness to God through difficult times?