Journal Entry ~ 07/09/19

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  - Psalm 126:1-2

God is so intentional with us. The trials we walk through have been specifically allowed to free us from the bondage that traps us. Whatever has a hold on our heart, whatever takes precedence over our God, will end up the source of a trial because God will not have it. He is more interested in our transformation and in our total surrender than He is in our temporary comfort because He knows that’s where we find freedom from our bondage.

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  - Psalm 126:5

This verse should be painted across our bathroom mirrors and stitched across the pillows where we lay our heads at night. It doesn’t say we might reap with shouts of joy, it doesn’t say we probably will reap with shouts of joy, it says we SHALL. We can know it absolutely, positively, 100% for sure the very thing that is causing us to shed tears will be the thing that we use to glorify Him with shouts of joy. We just have to keep on keeping on, sowing and waiting, applying His Word to our lives. We have to keep doing what He calls us to do - day in and day out - without giving up. Sowing is hard work, but we won’t ever see a harvest if we don’t sow the seed. If we don’t push His Word down into the hard soil of our hearts and make the changes He calls us to make, we will never find freedom from the chains that bind us. 

The problem is many of us don’t sow the seeds we’re given, we eat it instead. Remember, the seed is the Word of God. Some of us sit and listen to the Word of God preached, and we nod our heads in agreement, because it tastes so good. Or maybe we read it for ourselves, or someone sitting across the table shares it with us over coffee, and we’re moved to tears because His Word is so true. We say “Amen!” as we believe it and swallow it. But we’re not changed because we don’t sow it. We don’t apply the Word to our lives. We don’t do what it tells us to do. 

We hear a message on forgiveness and we’re convicted, but we fail to do the hard work of forgiveness. We read His Word and we know we should show grace to that difficult person in our lives, but it’s easier to keep our distance. We attend a study focusing on finding hope in difficult trials so we know we should be focusing on whatever is right and true, but we just “can’t” get on top of our anxious thoughts. We can be so moved to tears when we hear a convicting message, but we don’t go do what we know we’re supposed to do because it’s hard. So we eat the seed. They stop at hearing and they never grow. 

Change comes when we sow the seed.  When we plant that seed under the hard soil of our hearts and we wait in faith for His plan - that’s when we will get to reap with shouts of joy. When we choose daily to make the hard choices - to forgive, to show grace, to be anxious for nothing - every single day, sowing and pushing that seed further down every day, then we will see change, then we shall reap with shouts of joy. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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