Psalm 126 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 126 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Verse 2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."
Verse 3The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Verse 4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
Verse 5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Verse 6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Devotion
Picture the people described in verse 6 of this psalm—their shoulders bent in despair, faces wet with tears, feet dragging with exhaustion. Yet forward they go, lugging not just worry and discouragement but bags of seed to plant! This is what it looks like to persevere in hope—even flimsy hope—instead of standing still or turning back in despair. This is like the apocryphal saying of Luther: "If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree."
Because what if the world doesn't end? What if circumstances change—Saul the persecutor is converted to Paul the evangelist, against all odds the judge rules in your favor, the predicted storm doesn't materialize, the cancer goes into remission, new leaders step up? Then, if by God's power we've trudged forward, sowing seeds of hope even amid despair, we'll have sheaves to carry home, "our mouth ... filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy."
Prayer
God of hope, encourage us to move forward, planting your love in the world even amid tears of despair. Help us trust that you will bring forth a harvest of peace and joy. Amen.