Harvesting

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Psalm 126:5-6

PLANTING SEASON DOESN’T always look perfect. Rains might not come. The seeds can be eaten by crows and other birds. Other predators can turn a hopeful crop into a disaster. That’s the risk of farming.

The image in today’s verses goes beyond agriculture, though. It parallels what happens when you plant the seed of God’s Word in the hearts of those you love and hope it will bear a harvest. Often such plantings are done with tears. We admonish friends or relatives, “Please listen to this. It’s a matter of life and death.” They may laugh in our faces. They may even pity us for our strange beliefs. But we know the truth: those who reject Christ will face a dark eternity.

That’s where the tears come in. We so desperately want to see people saved, brought into the fold, and made a part of our eternal family. And many times, it’s years before we see the harvest. How many people have you prayed for since you became a Christian—perhaps for decades—with no apparent change or interest on their part?

God’s promise, though, is that the harvest is coming. One day, you will see many of those seeds come to fruition. So don’t despair. Keep planting. God will not waste the seed you have obediently scattered. The harvest is out there, and one day you will see the fruit of your labor.