Psalm 126:4-6

We are finishing this psalm today, as it was only 6 verses in total and these talk about joy too. During Bible times, it was a very agricultural community. They had to plant seeds, grow crops, and harvest so they could eat. We are so spoiled in our modern world! Not only do we have stores and restaurants to buy food, but now, thanks to Covid, we can have food delivered to us as well!

Our verses are a metaphor comparing planting and harvesting to going through a hard time. Planting season required tilling the ground in order to prepare the soil to take the seed. When someone isn’t prepared or not paying attention, seed can go places that won’t be good for growth. (Remember Jesus's parable about seed and the sower? It’s in Luke chapter 8.)

If we are crying as we are going through something difficult, we can be sure of 2 things. We will harvest AKA reap the benefits of joy soon from that situation AND it won’t last forever. Thankfully, the bad stuff doesn’t last forever. We may have an on-going issue, but it’s not always the exact same thing. God is with us and we can hold true to the promise that we will harvest (get through the hard times) with shouts of joy!