SEPTEMBER 2nd NEWSLETTER
Verse of the Week: "Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. Though one goes along weeping carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy carrying his sheaves." -Psalms 126: 5-6
Focus of the Week:
This verse makes me remember a mistake I made a few months ago. I forgot to set up an automatic payment for my car in time for the due date. The day after it was due, I went on the app, clicked pay, and didn’t think anything of it. A couple days later I realized I paid for the March and April statement. AH! My whole check went to this and now I wasn’t able to help my husband with the other bills that we planned to pay. UGH.
I was disappointed. We were just beginning to build our savings and to make a mistake like this left me feeling so frustrated and defeated. My husband was so chill and reassured me that we would be totally fine but I was still so annoyed! A few days later, I went before the Lord and I sat in His presence and just cried my eyes out. God showed me that my frustration wasn’t because I made an honest mistake but it was because I am just tired and exhausted.
I know I am not the only one who works really hard week by week and feels like the monetary reward isn’t stretching to make ends meet. I want to be helpful and be a part of taking care of things around the house. I spend so much of my time at this job, and it felt like it still wasn’t enough. There were so many big feelings building to this moment that all I could do was sit and weep with God. This wasn’t about the car, it was a lot of moments leading up to this that broke me. He brought me to the Psalms. I flipped through and started reading chapter after chapter until I reached the 126th Psalm.
It started with,
"When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream."
-Psalm 126:1
WHEN the Lord restored. I sat there on the floor and repeated that over and over again. “When” is absolute. Holy spirit reminded me that God would restore our finances and He would make ways for us that week to fill in the gaps that this mistake caused. God steps in, that is what He does!
Sometimes on our way to that place of restoration and joy there is weeping and exhaustion. It is not a glamorous road to take, but an essential one in the life of a Christian. Sometimes hard work feels incredibly useless. But this verse gives me hope that the work isn’t wasted because in sowing there is always harvest!
Having a house and starting a garden, I know now that it takes work! I am the last person you want tending to a garden but it was a new skill that I was hoping to learn once I moved in with my husband. In fact, this summer, we planted a few daffodil bulbs and we didn’t see anything sprout up at all for weeks. Just like sowing, harvest is a process as well. I kept watering and tilling the ground in hopes that I would see growth. It is the end of summer now and I have the most beautiful flowers!
The same works with God! It may seem like we are pressing and enduring through the trials of our lives and there is no harvest in sight. But that isn’t true. That is a lie, don’t believe it! Even when we don’t see it the hand of God is at work! He promised that if you just bring your seed and plant it on good ground, you can expect a bountiful harvest! Bring what you have and let God do the rest. Miracles happen when seeds are planted, not when they stay in our hands.
The Psalm said WHEN He restored! Friend, He is restoring you right now! Keep checking that seed. Keep praying. Even if you are hurting and weeping, keep sowing. Keep serving. Keep GOING!
Psalm 126:6 says, "Though one goes weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will SURELY come back with shouts of joy carrying his sheaves."
Joy is COMING for you! Bring your seed and let God do what only He can do! He will allow you to leave leaping with JOY carrying sheaves of harvest!