Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalm 126.5
On Sunday morning Di and I spoke at the Church where we were at one time the pastors. It was the first church we pastored, and we were young with very little leadership experience and no formal theological training. We were there for 7 years and saw some numerical growth and helped a good number of people engage with the Holy Spirit to receive both physical and emotional healing. It was a fruitful time in our lives.
One of the couples we spent a good amount of time with had real struggles as they started their married life and young family. Di and I remember sitting with them as they cried over the pain of what seemed like almost insurmountable difficulties in their lives. Yet here we were on this last Sunday speaking at the same church almost 30 years later where they are now the pastors of that same fellowship. The wife of the couple remembered one of the times we prayed for them as they cried. I apparently said at the end of the prayer time. “Today you are crying over your difficulties and pain but there will be a day when you sit with others and cry over their difficulties and pain as you help them”. That word or prophecy has come true as they spend time with others in the fellowship helping them.
When they told me that story I was quite emotional. I suddenly felt quite overwhelmed and said to myself “it was all worth it”. Today they are doing an excellent job leading the fellowship. The meeting had life in it, couples with children had joined them, they had a lovely music group leading the worship, and the people listened with interest to the message and responded for prayer afterwards. The fellowship is growing, the teaching is good, and the church is getting out into the community and playing a part in helping the village prosper.
At times we can be quick to make judgements or come to our own conclusions when things don’t change or work out as we would like them to. But God has a different way of working. He takes the prayers and tears we sow and turns them into songs of joy. It has taken many lifestyle changes, a lot of healing, and plenty of help and encouragement from others for this couple to become pastors of the fellowship. However, those seeds that were sown all those years ago have produced sheaves of corn. God is true to his word. Be encouraged to keep sowing and its alright to sow with tears.
