‘We All Like The Nice Bits’
We all like the nice bits!
Yesterday I cooked a Sunday roast for two of my grandchildren, I knew what they liked and made sure that those tasty morsels were on the table. They tucked in with relish, but as with all people, some things were tried, tasted then pushed to the side and some dishes not chosen at all! In other words they ate what they fancied and ignored the rest.
It’s all a matter of taste.
Later I got onto the homework for next weeks Bible Study on ‘Living on Purpose’ this will be the last one of a great series, boo hoo for you if you missed it! Only joking it is on line! desiringtruth.org.uk
So we were asked to read Psalm 126 and consider the times in which it was written and did the Psalm have any relevance to today? It didn’t take too long for me to associate the return of the children of Israel from captivity to our return (so say) to Church life Post lockdown! Verse 1 seems to indicate that it all seemed a bit unreal, not like anything before they went into ‘captivity’ - sound familiar?
They were so glad to be back even though things were different even though there was a bunch of changes and work to be done to restore the joyful unity of family together once more! My mind goes back to Sunday lunch and all the prep that was required, grandad and I in full swing, peeling spuds, chopping greens, mixing stuffing, roasting the chicken interminable flurry, steam and effort all for the purpose of sitting down to table with those we love!
But do you know, in all that effort on Sunday we were singing in our hearts, bursting with joy, because the Lord has been faithful, He has kept us according to His promises (of which there are many) and here we were together, looking into each other’s faces, sharing our table, sharing our hearts joys and sorrows, sharing the love of Jesus! So yes! I can relate to Psalm 126.
The Psalm goes on to say that the joy that bursts forth from the hearts of the children of Israel was heard and seen by those watching on from all around. It caught their attention and they could only comment that ‘The Lord has done great things for them!’ ‘Too right!’ came the reply, ‘the Lord HAS done great things for us and we are glad!’
Out of much isolation and misery- what a testimony? Is that yours too?
So then they prayed to the Lord that He would be in charge of this new day for them, that He would water the barren fields and bring forth all that was needed for them to bear fruit in order to live and share their bountiful table with others!
But then I saw a piece not so much spoken of, verse 5 - ‘they who sow in tears shall reap with joyful singing’. This verse is often given to many sad souls, going through the mill, being churned up by life’s tragedies, to say that their sorrows will not last forever, they too will soon be set free from the pain and the the grief of it all!
This is indeed true, but look again at that verse, it says clearly ‘THEY WHO SOW’ in tears shall reap with joyful singing’!
Am I, are you, sowing in our tears, declaring aloud to all around you that the Lord has done great things for us; we are glad?
Am I, are you, working hard at this, going back and forth carrying our bag full of precious seeds even in a difficult time that can cause weeping?
Am I, are you even asking the Lord how we should go on from here, sowing and planting?
Or are we choosing to have just the comfortable part, wipe away my tears make me happy again?
Sunday lunch was hard work for us to prepare, but so joyous in the partaking! But Jesus has already spread His table before us through His Word, He has already done all the preparation so that we have all we need or could desire - so let’s not just pick out the bits we like, lets choose to eat all that He has spread before us, the bitter and the sweet!
The shouts of joy came as a result of sowing whilst weeping. The promise of a rich harvest comes with our choice to believe that He has done great things for us and we are glad! Think about it, count your blessings one by one. These songs of acclamation, and shouts of praise are the seeds that we shall cast abroad in the hearts of those we love and care for and His Word promises that we will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing sheaves with us! Whoopee do!
So today remember all His goodness that has followed you through your ‘captivity’.
Ask the Lord to lead you to His table, so you can find seed to put in your bag, and then cast those seeds abroad all over your family and friends and expect the promised harvest!
Big hug dear friends, we are together working in the harvest field whilst there is still time. Rosie Short