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.

When we plant things in our life, there's always a risk. Will it grow? Is there adequate light? Did I give the plant plenty of water? Am I doing enough? For those of us who don't quite have a green thumb, like me, it can be quite the challenge to sow new seeds, hoping to bring a new plant to life. But being faithful to the process can be rewarding and bring great joy to see your hard work come to life.

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Have you heard the saying, "You grow through what you go through"? I used to loathe that saying, thinking it was such a cliché. It wasn't until I was reading through the books of Psalms, trying to understand the vision and thoughts of the writer, King David, that I got it. See, living a Christ-centered life is not always as glamorous as we sometimes portray it. Jesus never promised life would be easy, but that we could overcome our challenges if we trusted and continued walking with him. It’s true that growth of any kind is always a process.

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David notes in verse 5, "Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them." In this verse, sheaves are bundles of grain crops gathered together. These bundles are usually brought into the barn or granary since these grain crops are in their final harvesting stages. They symbolize the reaping of blessings, provisions, and abundance. I can envision those in the fields working hard, faithfully tending to the crops, yet fully trusting in God to provide a great harvest. Just as growth is a process, so is the harvest.

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Like the seed and sheaves, our tears, struggles, and sorrows – all that we go through – are a process of sowing, growth, and looking forward to a harvest, too. This harvest will tell a story of our spiritual journey as we grow with God, patiently trusting him to transform the struggles we endure into joy.

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The tears and heartbreaks we experience today are not for nothing. They are seeds planted in the fields of our hearts that will bring plentiful harvests of joy and thankfulness. Being faithful in times of struggle can build our faith in ways we could not imagine but can, over time, transform our hearts and minds. This transformation can even strengthen our trust and relationship with God as we entirely rely on him to guide us through the difficult times we experience.

I'm not sure what life looks like for you right now, but wherever you're at right now, when we experience struggles and sadness, we know that we are not alone. God is beside us as our comforter that we can trust and wholly lean on. Allowing God into our hearts and giving him our worries, concerns, and fears can be difficult. Letting go and allowing God to control all aspects of my life is challenging. Daily, we continue to work in the fields of our hearts and tend to our spiritual journey as we grow with God.

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While in the field, what is it that you are sowing? Seeds of hope? Of persistence? Of grief? Whatever you’re sowing today, we can trust the Lord of the Harvest to bring us joy through the process when we depend on him to provide as we patiently wait.

Lord, our source of everlasting truth, thank you for your wonderful promises. Regardless of what we are walking through, you are the one to turn our tears and sorrows into joy. When we wander in darkness, you are the shining light beside us, continuing to show us the path to you. When we struggle in difficult times, please cover us with your loving kindness as we trust you. Amen.