Sowing Seeds and Harvesting Sheaves for God through Our Pain

“He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6).

Sowing, reaping, and harvesting are all words that may be associated with the Thanksgiving season.  We may not farm for a living, but even if we aren’t planting literal seeds in the earth, as believers we are called to plant seeds for God’s kingdom in the world around us.

Living with pain, virtually any seeds we sow - any services we are able to render - are probably done through some tears.  Pain may limit us in helping with hands-on physical ministries. When we do push through we may pay for it later and wonder if it was worth it.  But there are different seeds we can plant through pain. Our examples of showing patience, love, encouragement, faith, and others through our suffering reap a harvest in our lives and in the lives of others.

I think especially of the seeds of perseverance. At times these seeds may be quite literally watered with our tears of pain.   Yet at some point they will yield sheaves which we will harvest in joy rather than sorrow.

Only God knows every seed we are planting for Him through our pain.  Although our acts of service may not be out in the fields of the physical world, a few words through an email, phone call, prayer, or note may have a ripple effect of which we have no concept.

As Thanksgiving approaches we can look for opportunities to sow even a single small seed.  It may be painful to the point of tears to do so.  But the Lord promises that one day – whether now or later – we will see the sheaves grown from those seeds, and the joy we experience will make the pain worth every tear. 

Prayer:  O Lord God, thank you for those who have sown Your seeds in my life.  Help me seek ways this Thanksgiving season to sow your eternal seeds in those around me through my pain, clinging to the promise that one day my tears will be turned to joy when I reap the sheaves of those seeds.  Amen.