In what ways can we encourage others who are "sowing in tears"? Opening the Passage Psalm 126:5–6: “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves.” God’s Word presents this as a literal, reliable promise: seasons of tearful labor are not the end of the story—joyous reaping is certain. Understanding “Sowing in Tears” • Life includes assignments from God that are carried out while the heart aches. • The sowing is active obedience—still pressing seed into the soil of faith. • The tears are real—grief, loss, exhaustion, or disappointment that accompanies the work. • The passage keeps both realities together: pain does not cancel purpose, and purpose does not erase pain. The Certain Promise Behind the Tears • God ties a sure harvest to faithful sowing. His character guarantees it (Numbers 23:19). • He knows every tear and records it (Psalm 56:8). • Joy is not vague optimism; it is anchored in His oath (Hebrews 6:17–18). • The promise is consistent with the wider testimony of Scripture: – “Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) – “For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Practical Ways to Encourage Those Who Are Sowing in Tears • Share the promise aloud. Read Psalm 126:5–6 together and let the certainty of God’s Word speak. • Stay present. Your quiet companionship often speaks louder than advice (Romans 12:15). • Pray Scripture over them, turning promises into petitions (Galatians 6:9). • Help shoulder tangible burdens—meals, childcare, errands—so they can keep sowing without collapse (James 2:15–16). • Notice and celebrate every small sprout of God’s goodness; early signs of the coming harvest fortify weary hearts. • Guard their hope by reminding them of past faithfulness: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126:3) Scriptures That Speak Life Into the Sower • John 16:20: “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” • Romans 8:18: “The present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.” • Isaiah 35:10: “Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.” • Galatians 6:9: “In due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Walking Beside Them in Hope • Keep pointing forward: harvest is certain, timing is God’s (Ecclesiastes 3:1). • Maintain worship. Singing truth tills discouraged soil and invites heavenly perspective (Acts 16:25). • Speak honestly about Christ’s own tears; He understands every emotion of the field (Hebrews 4:15). Pointing to Christ, the Man of Sorrows • Jesus sowed in tears at Gethsemane and reaped eternal salvation at the cross and empty tomb (Hebrews 12:2). • His pattern validates the promise: sorrow precedes glory. Looking Ahead to the Harvest • Encourage the weary to picture the moment they walk back with “sheaves” in hand—a literal future secured by God. • The field will one day ring with shouts of joy, and every tear will have watered eternal fruit (Revelation 21:4). |
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