Sunday Devotional: Psalm 126 ~ harvest of joy

Psalm 126 (NKJV) ~ A Song of Ascents.

Another short and sweet one from among the songs of ascent ...

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

Nothing compares to the joy of knowing just what the Lord has done for us—the simple fact of being set free from our captivity, here referred to in a literal sense, when Israel was released to return to the land after being led away by the Babylonians. But for us, the deeper and more desperate captivity of the sin we’re all born into.

What makes that joy even sweeter is when others recognize the change, and marvel and rejoice along with us.

⁴ Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.

⁵ Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
⁶ He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

The psalm ends with a beautiful reminder that none of our tears and angst is wasted, when we’re laboring for something worthwhile. Indeed, our tears might be the very thing which waters the seed.

The harvest will come, as echoed in Galatians, when the season is right ... and it will be accompanied with joy.