Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

Psalm 126 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
² Then our mouth was filled with laughter
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³ The Lord has done great things for us;
We are glad.

⁴ Restore our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.
⁵ Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
⁶ He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

The psalmist says:  Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.   We should view these verses as more than just an encouragement. We should see them as a declaration of truth and of God’s promise. If this is not the testimony we have, then before we grumble or complain, we should take note of what it is that we are sowing in our tears.  Galatians 6:7-9 says:    Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  In Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus says:    “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”    These things that Jesus speaks of do not seem like blessings. But it is the promise of the fruit of these things; these situations that is the blessing. It is out of the difficulty that we are blessed. Romans 8:28-29 says:  We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.  The hard things, the difficult times in our lives are not caused by God, but if we will look with eyes of faith, at His promise, rather than grumbling about the circumstance, we will be blessed. If our sowing is in anger and bitterness, then we will reap the fruit of anger and bitterness. If even in our tears, we sow joyfully, we will reap with joy.

The psalmist says:  The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad.  Even in the difficult times, that should be our testimony. That we are glad because of the great things the Lord has done for us. Even if He never did anything else, Jesus suffered and died to save us. Yet His promise is not only that we would have eternal life, but that we would be blessed in this life. The psalmist speaks of reaping joyfully. We need to understand the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotion. It is a way that we feel in response to good things. Joy on the other hand is something we choose. It is a way we respond whether things are good or bad. Nehemiah 8:10 says:  This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.   We should live every day, regardless of the circumstance of life, as holy to the Lord. We should not grumble and complain, but rather choose to be joyful. In joy we will find strength and blessing.

I saw this on the internet the other day.

https://9gag.com/gag/apvRZ28/that-moment-when-you-try-to-explain-to-jesus-how-hard-your-life-has-been-lately  

I couldn’t help but to think that even so, even when we complain to the Lord, in spite of all that He has done, He graciously listens. He bears our every burden and asks the Father to bless us, for His names sake.

Ephesians 1:3 says:   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit. You have done great things. I am blessed.  Amen.