By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY
THEME: GOD WHO HAS CONTROL OVER THE SOWING AND THE HARVESTING“
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 126:3,5-6
“[3]The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. [5]Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. [6]He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.”
REFLECTIONS
Psalms 126 is one of the inspiring psalms that reveal God’s great acts in the lives of His people. The Chapter represents the joy God’s people had when He brought them back from their Babylonian captivity and bondage. They acknowledged this extraordinary intervention of the Lord and praised Him for His favor. As a nation and the people of God, the captivity was a blight in their lives and history. Now, having experienced life in bondage and how it dehumanizes people created in the image of God, they appreciated and were grateful for the Lord’s deliverance. Their sorrows were turned into joy when the Lord stepped in. So, with laughter in their mouths, they praised God.
For the Israelites, it was a near impossibility for God to deliver them from their Babylonian exile because they knew very well they had grossly overlooked God’s warnings. Therefore, it was a big surprise to them to experience deliverance in their lifetime. The thought of their rescue and restoration was a dream that people would have but would not materialize. Verses 1-3 declare: “[1]When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. [2]Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” [3]The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad.” All the world will know that our God has power and is dependable. God’s conditions for redeeming and restoring His people are patience, perseverance, trust, and fortitude.
Verses 4-6 continue: [4]Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South. [5]Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. [6]He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.” Sowing the word of God in tears will yield the expected outcomes. God expects His redeemed to sow the seed of salvation in the hearts of the erring. We may work on the salvation of others and, in agony, plead with them to surrender to Jesus; though often it may take a long time for us to see the outcome, be assured that any seed sowed sincerely in the Lord will not be in vain, God forbid. It will germinate, thrive, bear fruit, and be harvested.
Never get it wrong about God’s desire to save and restore His wayward children and establish them in hope. God will always put laughter in the mouths of those who seek His help or heed His entreaties. In captivity, they cried to the Lord – their tears of agony and disappointment were visible, but their cries and deep sorrow were not in vain. The Lord responded favorably to them and caused them to rejoice. Their experience indicates that sowing through weeping, challenging, and unfriendly environments will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest of laughter and joy. Whatever the situation you may find yourself in, sow the seed of prayer, and you will reap bountifully at the appropriate time. Above all, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”-Hosea 10:12.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 369 – “Bringing in the Sheaves”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His grace and mercy; thank Him for His response to your calls and cries to Him; pray to affirm your willingness to heed God’s promptings;
– Pray for those who the Holy Spirit has convicted to surrender to Him; pray for relatives, neighbors, and friends to come to know Jesus and live in Him;
– Pray for single parents, children who have faced some traumatic experience, children who have become wayward, children with autism, children living with albinism;
– Pray for our nation to get back on track, for leadership to be given insight into their calling by God, and to promote a national agenda on unity, respect, and the fear and reverence of God; pray for the sick.
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