Devotion 18 June 2026

Those who sow with 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: 5-6

READING: Psalm 126

These are poignant and beautiful images, foreign to our city lives – that of peasants bowed over, weeping, but carrying their precious seeds, and determinedly engaging in the backbreaking work of sowing those seeds. And the contrasting image of those persons coming back, later, from those same fields that they watered with their tears, laughing and singing in joy, carrying great sheaves of life-giving goodness.

We are, at heart, the same people as those ancient country folk. And the recipe for laughter and joy remain the same – “weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Endurance, resilience, steadfastness, gallantly doing what is right in the face of wrong, in faith – these are what God values and requires of us, to the glory of His name.

God understands our grief, our sorrow and our fears, but here we are reminded that whilst we cannot deny our feelings, and may be weeping, we still can and should continue to do what is required of us (carrying our seeds to sow, even when weeping) and never give up. When life seems hard or meaningless, that is the time to have resilience, to have courage and to stand firm and carry on sowing the seed, because we know that God is depending on us to sow the seeds, so that He can create a harvest.

These days it may not be physically backbreaking labour that is required of us through our sorrow and fear, it is often the more insidious work of standing up for what is right, for fighting back against corruption, brutal discrimination, uncaring bureaucracy or blatant crime. But these words assure us that, one way or another, in God’s own time, we will feel “like those who dreamed” (v1b) and we will laugh and sing with joy. This is the adventure of journeying with God, we never know how and when He will bring us joy; it might well be through a completely unexpected new path of life, but He has promised and He will deliver on His promises.

Prayer

Loving God, I thank You that, as I journey with You through good and bad times, I will know with joy your steadfast love and unfolding grace. Amen