Painful planting, happy harvest

Let those who wept as they planted their crops,
gather the harvest with joy!
Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed
will come back singing for joy,
as they bring in the harvest. (verses 5, 6)

Read Psalm 126

If you are a farmer, you may understand better than others the painful and stressful burden of planting seed in faith that you will receive the right weather patterns for a good crop. But you don’t need to be a farmer to relate to this passage.

Parents struggle with the often painful and endless routine of cooking and cleaning for their children and teaching them, often with little immediate result. Only later in life will they see any fruit for their labours. Pastors and church workers work hard to sow the seed of the gospel, only to see too many people choked by the weeds of greed, self-glory and selfishness.

Life as a Christian is a life of struggle, of tirelessly and faithfully listening to God’s word when everybody else ignores him, praying for situations that seem hopeless, and witnessing to blank and vacant faces. We may not see in this life the results of our work, but what joy awaits us in heaven when we will see the finished harvest!

Lord God, heavenly Father, give me perseverance to keep sowing your good seed. Help me look to the promised abundant harvest with joy. Amen.

by Stuart Kleinig, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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