Psalm 126: Trusting God in Tears and Triumph
Are you going through something that seems utterly hopeless right now? Maybe you’re struggling with a difficult situation and don’t know what to do or how things will ever change. If that’s the case, Psalm 126 is a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness and the promise of joy.
The writer reminds them of a horrible crisis they previously faced and how awesome it was when God miraculously intervened. He wants them to remember how powerfully God acted in the past. He wants us to know! When we face something difficult, we often get so caught up in the problem that we can lose sight of God’s faithfulness. It’s easy to forget what God has done before.
“When we face something difficult, we often get so caught up in the problem that we can lose sight of God’s faithfulness.”
He reminds them how happy they were, remember, “our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting.” Even unbelievers had to admit, “The LORD has done great things for them.” He recalls how God showed up for us in the past because this helps us to have hope and trust Him in the present: “God HAS done great things for us—we ARE glad!” (Psalm 126:3)
Look at your life. He’s rescued all of us! He has spared lives, repaired marriages, and brought back rebellious children. He has answered prayers and performed last-minute miracles.
However, the psalm doesn’t stop at remembering the past. We live in the present, and we often find ourselves in need once again.
The tone of this psalm then shifts to a prayer:
Psalm 126:4 Restore our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South.
Life’s challenges have a way of revealing our lack of control. When faced with overwhelming circumstances, our first instinct is often to try to take matters into our own hands. We fight, flee, manipulate, or complain to bend the world to our will. But true peace and wisdom come when we learn to release our white-knuckle grip on our circumstances and trust in Jesus.
This brings us to one of the most challenging concepts in the psalm: sowing in tears.
Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
“Sowing in tears” recognizes how hard things are. While nothing about that sounds appealing, that’s sometimes our reality. Sowing in tears means investing in what’s right, even when it’s tough. It’s about remaining faithful when it feels like you’re the only one doing so, even when it doesn’t seem fair or worthwhile, trusting that God will bring the harvest in His time.
Jesus’ entire ministry—healing the sick, raising the dead, and restoring us to the Father—is about healing, reconciling, and turning tears into joy. His sacrifice and resurrection assure us that He can overcome darkness, bring us through death, and redeem any situation.
Understanding that our hope isn’t in specific outcomes or God doing exactly what we want Him to do is crucial. Our hope is in God Himself—He is good and faithful and will redeem our pain, restoring everything in His time. In His presence, we will find complete joy, peace, and love. When we truly trust Jesus Christ rather than changing our circumstances, we see a steadfast anchor for our souls that can withstand any storm.
“It’s crucial to understand that our hope isn’t in specific outcomes or in God doing exactly what we want Him to do. Our hope is in God Himself— He is good and faithful and will redeem our pain, restoring everything in His time.”
If you’re sowing in tears today—faithfully trusting God and doing right in your marriage, with those you disagree with, online, in your private thoughts, loving your kids, and in your service to God, however imperfectly—God sees your trust and faithfulness and will reward you in His timing.
John 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
That’s the promise of Christ’s resurrection and return, the kingdom, power, and glory to come, with Jesus Himself rewarding us with heavenly treasures and eternal rewards. Our tears will turn to shouts of joy.
So today, whatever you’re facing, remember that the Lord has done great things in the past, is working in the present, and promises even greater things to come.
In a chaotic and hopeless world, we can be beacons of hope and gladness. Turning to Jesus and finding our joy in Him can offer a different perspective to those around us. Instead of being driven by fear, anger, or self-righteousness, we can demonstrate the peace and love that come from a deep trust in God, even through some tears.