Sowing With Tears
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.
~Psalm 126:5, LSB
Sometimes faith sings while it serves. Sometimes faith shouts while it serves. And sometimes faith simply wipes away the tears and keeps sowing.
~Theo Pennington
I sowed our rye grass last Saturday in faith but without tears. Now I am on the verge of tears. While the Grace Point area got 1.62 in rainfall, we got nothing here at 83 James road. At the POINT, It rained during SS and Worship but by the time we got to Hartselle, we saw the disappointing thirsty earth. I sowed believing that rain was coming; without the rain, the birds and the wind will get the seed. But there is a huge difference between my sowing rye grass and that of Isralites peasants sowing their wheat and barley three millenniums ago. David wrote most of these Psalms a thousand years before Christ. The Israelites for the most part lived off the land. It was an agrarian society and most were peasants. They sowed with tears because they were sowing their bread literally. This is a land where rain is sparse and without rain, there is no harvest. The seed they were sowing were precious to them and their very lived depended on a harvest. In these United States, no one starves. In my 77 years, I have never known of anyone starving to death but it does happen in other parts of the world. It is estimated that around 645 million people die each year due to malnutrition. Malnutrition does not kill them directly, but the diseases that do are caused by starvation. That is more than the entire population of the USA. {350 million} Draught was not the only ancient foe, they had to deal with insects and they had no pestecides. There are two 20th century famines that killed millions: Russia in 1921-22 and China in 1928-30. Somalia and the Sudan have been under famine status for the past 15 years but much of the starvation there has been caused by the Muslims who refuse to allow relief groups to come in with food and medical supplies. Isn’t it strange, that the Muslims get no negative press from the lame stream media and their fake news.
The point is: the peasants in David’s day did not have a Krogers or Publics to go to or any money to purchase bread. If what they sowed in the ground did not produce, they were in serious trouble and living in a good neighborhood would not help: their neighbors would be the same boat. Now you know why they sowed in tears and why they reaped with Joy. Now you know why those of us who realize where our food comes from rejoice with every rain. You may be thinking; if it doesn’t rain, we can eat beef! Sounds like that crazy woman in congress who says we can go to the sun, we just have to land at night. The beef eat grass, what what causes the grass to grow? Mercy drops from heaven. A draught will eventually stop everything.
There is a beautiful contrast in Psalm 126:
Of course all tears are not related to daily bread; tears are a part of life. You may be shedding tears at present, perhaps for a lost friend or a wayward child. The good news is that the tears don’t get the last word. Remember Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Never interpret the whole story from the painful chapter you’re presently reading.
- Very good service in spite of me having a Senior Moment in Communion. Deidra made a very good presentation about the Mission work in Guatemala. I think every one at Grace Point is glad to be a part of the team. She and her family had lunch with us and then headed to Michigan. I think she has a lot of supporters in Michigan which is where Granny Turrentine came from.
- Bill Southern is having an arteriagram this morning. He and Carol were to be there at 8:00. I should be well on my way by the time you read this.
- Pastor Appreciation began yesterday. The children presented me with cards and hugs. As we have been doing for the past three years, the Monday Morning Pastor’s conference meets at a different church each week and we are fed lunch. Our first one is today and it is at Keith’s and Judy’s. They come to Grace Point Monday October 26. I am excited about all of them.
- Mens Breakfast this Saturday at 8:00 am @ Libby’s in Priceville
- I Peter 1:13-21…A Call To Holiness
- Record for Sunday Dinner….42
Have a Magnificent Monday and thanks for reading the blog!!!!
