Sacrificial Sowing

Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of 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 HCSB

Understanding this verse may be difficult for the modern Western mind. After all, when spring arrives, we are relieved that the long cold winter is over. We are hopeful as we begin the season. We go out with our monster machines and scatter the seed with ease. Who goes out to sow seed weeping?

In order to better understand this passage, remember where and when it was written. It was written in the Middle East about 2500 years ago.

Harvest time there was a time of rejoicing, partying and full bellies. People ate three full meals a day and the granaries were full. Eyes were bright and hearts were hopeful.

As the year went on however, and the dry season started to take hold of the land, the ground began to crack. Water became scarce as rivers dried up. Animals began to be harder to hunt as they ranged farther and farther to find watering holes. The soup began to get thinner. Finally, as the granaries began to empty, they switched to just two meals a day. Toward the end of the season, they would be lucky to have one meal a day. At night, you could hear the babies cry - hungry because their mother's milk had dried up.

Imagine a young child who had been hungry for weeks, months, running into the hut yelling with excitement, "Daddy! Daddy! I've found some grain! I found a bag of grain hanging high up on a nail in the granary! Get it down and give it to Mommy so she can make us some food!"

That father would have to look at his starving child with sadness in his eyes and refuse him. "Son, that bag holds the seed we need for the next season. If we eat that, we will surely starve to death."

Then, a week or two later, that father would walk into the granary, take down that bag and do the craziest thing ever. He would take the grain that could fill the bellies of his family, and with tears in his eyes scatter it all over the ground. He was starving too. He knew that some of it may get eaten by birds. But because he looked beyond the tears and by faith planted the seed, he and his family would know another harvest.

We must, by faith, understand the true value of the foolishness of preaching. We must understand how vital it is that we scatter the seed of the Gospel diligently and indiscriminately; though it may cost us our comfort; though it may at times even cost our families. The one who understands this and is willing to pay the price of discipleship is the one who will see a spiritual harvest.