Bearing Seed for Sowing

 “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5-6

“bearing seed for sowing” implies that there is more to suffering than enduring; that gospel words spoken, biblical truths applied, humble acquiescence to the inexplicable that God has brought into your life, belief in the unerring kindness of God and in the intercession that His Son Jesus bring to the throne, all are seeds that are sown, and God brings His Sun and His rain and His growth to those seeds.  Seeds are specific to the needs of nourishment of others and ourselves;  seeds grow up and bear fruit.  We do not need just to bear our suffering as a burden; that very suffering-burden can be a seed-sack full of that which brings life—seed for sowing.  Words of truth and hope and grace to one another scatters seed.  Knowing the Word spreads seed. 

“bearing seed for sowing”  leaped out at me.  Hearts blinded by tears can still walk forward, do the next thing that they know needs to be done, all the while clinging to the promises they find in Scripture—carry them in their pocket, post them by the sink, shower, car dash, wherever their eyes will look to take in Truth rather than the eyes of their fainting heart which may see but the trouble that lies all around them.  Each time is a tiny “bearing” of a seed. 

He doesn’t say we fertilize and cultivate the seed.  He says we can walk through our days continually weeping, all the while we bear the seed for sowing.  We wait for Him to carry the seed where He will, grant fruit where He wills.  But we have beautiful promises:

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard or perceived by the ear nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.  You meet Him who rejoices and does righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways.”  Isaiah 64:4-5

“We shall never forget a remark that George Mueller once made to a gentleman who had asked him the best way to have strong faith.

“The only way,” replied the patriarch of faith, “to learn strong faith is to endure great trials.  I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.”  This is very true.  The time to trust is when all else fails.

“Dear one, you scarcely realize the value of your present opportunity; if you are passing through great afflictions you are in the very soul of the strongest faith, and if you will only let go, He will teach you in those hours the mightiest hold upon His throne which you can ever know.

“Be not afraid, only believe.”  And if you are afraid, just look up and say, “What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee’, and you will yet thank God for the school of sorrow which was to you the school of faith.”—A.B. Simpson