To Sow in Tears in a Dry Land

Scripture: Psalm 126:1-6

Yahweh has done great things for us

　　Recently, in the morning chapels we have heard new students sharing their testimonies of God’s call. Most of them mentioned that they had not thought of further studies in theology or of becoming a pastor. As for walking on the path of full-time ministry, many fellow students at first have had struggles or reservations. I know a fledgling preacher whose story is totally different. He received God’s call in his second year of study at the university. After graduation, he very much hoped to receive theological training immediately, but he could not get his wish. He then began to work in society and waited for the day when he could enter a seminary to study. Five years passed by. Then eight years passed by and he was still waiting, waiting for God’s time. He could not help thinking: Is it true that God will call me? How long will I have to wait?

　　The returnees described in Psalm 126 were those Israelites being captured to Gentile nations after the fall of the Kingdom of Judah and now they could go back to their homeland. Several decades later, when the Holy Temple could be rebuilt they would have been looking forward to a homecoming. What Psalm 126 describes is exactly the voice from the hearts of the returnees. After the kingdom had fallen, many prophets predicted that one day the Israelites would return to their homeland. In the process of waiting, how pained and distressed they were! When they were living very hard lives, the return to their homeland seemed impossible within the foreseeable future. Therefore, the psalmist says, “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.” The psalmist describes himself returning from captivity to his homeland as going through a dream. It was a dream come true! Today, finally their return was in sight and had already begun taking the “immigration clearance” procedure. For the Israelites, the dream they had had over the years was about to come true.

　　One day after eight years, the brother mentioned above had the opportunity to join the seminary’s Experiencing Seminary Life Camp. In the camp, a teacher said to him, “Hope to see you this August!” Upon hearing these words, this brother understood that the time had come and so he took action: Filled in the application form, took the entrance examination, and attended the interview. At last, he received the HKBTS admission notice. He still remembers the moment he received the notice, it was like a dream. He immediately called his wife. Later, he went through the admission procedures, moved into the student quarters, and joined the spiritual formation camp. Then the new school year began, he came up to the pulpit to share his testimony of God’s call. It was like a dream that had come true. The dream which lasted for several years had unexpectedly come true today. What is his mood when a person’s dream finally comes true?

　　This brother was in a mood similar to what the psalmist says, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” When our dream comes true, we are indeed extremely delighted, aspiring to share the good news with others at the earliest possible time, and even unknowingly laughing while walking on the city streets. We are so radiant that others can see from our talk and our walk that we are no longer despondent but overjoyed. This is what the psalmist says here.

　　I still remember this brother, after his admission was confirmed, he updated his status on the Facebook, “Next stop of God’s grace: Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary.” Instantly many friends gave him “like” and someone left a message: “Thank God! Super!” In these few years, he had had the opportunity to share his testimony of God’s call on different occasions, a majority of people gave the same response: “Thank God! May God make great use of you!” He profoundly understood this: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

　　Brothers and sisters, just imagine, this brother has waited for only eight years and become so overjoyed when his dream came true, not to mention how joyful the Israelites would be coming back to their homeland from captivity that year! On the day of their return, how will they not be a hundred times more excited than this brother? How hard it was for the Israelites to return from captivity, the psalmist said that the Lord had done great things for them, indeed great things had been done!

To say a prayer in an arid land

　　Here, everything seems to be good from the scripture. If this psalm ends in verse 3, that is we all profoundly know, “The Lord has done great things for us,” that would be wonderful. However, the psalm does not end in verse 3. Returning to Zion, the psalmist saw that the Earth was desolate and from the situation around he realized that in the future there would be a lot of difficulties. Accordingly, he called out to God in verse 4: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev.” Negev, located south of Hebron, is a wasteland, an arid and dry land. That is why the psalmist says a prayer of faith. Admittedly, to be able to return from captivity is incomparably joyful and yet the reality still needs to be faced.

　　In these few years’ of seminary study, we have undergone laborious struggles. For graduating students, you know what it is all about. The brother mentioned above also needs to deal with practical problems of everyday life. For example, he needs to face economic difficulties as his savings has been used up while he lacks the ability to earn any income. He needs also to do church practicum, to learn biblical and theological knowledge in class lessons, and face the potential challenges and impacts of knowledge upon his faith. He seems to enter into an exotic new world as he needs to handle different situations and to face different challenges.

　　The psalmist teaches us just to say our prayer of faith to God, that is to call out to Yahweh who has done great things for us. We need to have an unwavering faith in God, just like the psalmist. Since God has promised to lead the Israelites to return to their homeland from captivity, today He can similarly do great things for us in difficult situations! It is with this confidence that our brother has also completed his seminary studies and is ready to enter into the ministry field.

Sow the seeds in tears and reap in joy

　　Will it be an easy road for a new minister to enter into church ministry? Will the ministry scene in front of us be smooth sailing like sowing in good soil that we need to only give some very basic care and the seed will sprout and grow? The psalmist mentions in verse 5 to “sow in tears” and then once again in verse 6 to “go out weeping carrying seed to sow.” Have we ever thought of sowing in tears? Have you seen farmers in tears when they sow? It is always when there is a poor harvest and the crops are lost that farmers will be in tears.

　　We can see such scenes on the screen when farmers affected by natural disaster are heart-broken and in tears. That is why here the psalmist gives us an important message: To sow in tears, to sow is to weep and shed tears! This reflects that the actual environment for sowing is not ideal as described in verse 4. It is probable that they sowed in a dry land. Brothers and sisters, we need to know that seeds are not available anytime anywhere and we have to pay for them. We may purchase them with money or save them up from the previous harvest. In short, they are not “falling from heaven.” From the scripture we see that farmers reluctantly sowed. Brothers and sisters, in such a situation, if you were farmers, would you still sow the seeds? From scripture, the psalmist repeatedly shows what is in his mind: He chooses to sow. He must also remind us: In tears he sowed.

　　Thank God that the psalmist did not stop at the stage of “shedding tears.” He says with certainty, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” “In tears” and “with joy” shows a great contrast, revealing the progress of the psalmist’s faith in God. Since God has fulfilled such an impossible thing as the Israelite’s returning home from captivity, not to mention the seed-sowing and crop-harvesting. The psalmist trusts that God will do great things for him. Yes, it is true that the difficulty in front of us would make us shed tears. However, the psalmist also reminds us that the God we believe in is of great power, is the Lord of abundance and filled with grace. Without sowing, there will be no harvest. More specifically, without going through the process of sowing in tears, devoting a great effort with flesh and blood, how can we be joyful upon harvest? Admittedly, we know not when to harvest, just as the Israelites at first did not know when they could return home but the psalmist reminds us to sow at this moment.

　　Recently, I have the opportunity to read a book on teaching and church pastoring. There is a confession from the author, a pastor. He says the following:

I have pastored a church for six years. At first, I graduated from the seminary and entered into a church to serve with lofty ideal and ambitions. The reality of serving in a church made me exhausted. Reading suitable reference books on how to face difficult situations may help me understand my own situation. I am convinced that as long as I truly love the congregation, show them clearly the gospel message and that my teaching is also consistent with truth, the believers can come to know God’s salvation through Christ and grow. However, this idea is too naïve! When believers do not care the spiritual condition of their own and that of their neighbors at all, what use is there in doing all these? In this day and age, what is the worthiness of pastor, church and the gospel? That makes me very struggling.
Of course I know that God wants His servants to be faithful and keep sowing the seed but in practical situation this is very difficult. I was standing at the crossroads. I have seriously considered giving up serving at church and pursued a Master degree in Business Administration, then taking a job that I can see the result. But finally, I chose to continue with my ministerial profession because I still love Jesus and His church. I still believe that men need the gospel. I still believe in the mission of the church.

　　James E. Dittes regards Christian ministry as grief work!

　　Brothers and sisters, to sow the seed in tears will surely be to reap with joy! May we all sow the seed in tears together and experience the great things that God has done for us together.