The Weeping Sower - The Beauty of Sowing in Tears

   Many of us know the parable of the Sower that Jesus spoke of in Mathew 13.

   It’s a rich and wonderfully layered piece of scripture where Jesus depicts a Sower (An Individual who is sowing seeds into the ground with the intent of growth, and a harvest.), casting seed into the ground. Jesus then uses four different examples of the quality of earth that these seeds are landing on. The four separate grounds represent unique conditions of the human heart, which each receive the seed differently.

The heart by the wayside — “hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

The stony heart — “is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

The heart of thorns — “he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”

The heart of good soil — “he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

   Understanding these kingdom principles above and also that the seed being reading God’s word, speaking God’s word, hearing God’s word, and praise and worship are beneficial and revelatory to our walk with Christ. But today, we want to talk about the Sower themself.
Me, and you.
Specifically, we want to address what we call — The Psalms 126:6 Sower or The Weeping Sower.

   We want to take today to not only acknowledge, but encourage the believer who is currently endeavoring to plant seeds in faith through the sorrow of tribulation. From grief to job loss, earth shattering diagnosis, transition seasons, singleness, trials in relationships, parenthood, mental health struggles and more…planting seeds during a time of deep pain and having to wait on said seed can feel daunting, and frankly exhausting.

   Psalms 126:6 lays out a scene for us which though short…is powerfully moving and relatable as modern day believers, even though the majority of us aren’t farmers or work the land anymore. Scripture shows us in this passage that whatever it is causing this individual to become weighed down by is so heavy, that the Sower can’t help but weep as they go up and down the rows. This is an individual who is so desperate, desiring, tired, exhausted, emotionally wrecked, and trembling with tears that surly at some point must have looked at the handful or bag full of seeds and thought…

“How?”

   Yet this Sower still chooses to throw these tiny little seeds into the ground. In faith. Notice that this act of faith wasn’t amidst joyful celebration, it wasn’t in great strength…but rather in a time of weakness and vulnerability. This individual was hoping. Praying, for them to grow during a time where they probably felt like their world was falling apart one way or another. This is a person who is showing up daily, whatever that looks like for them and their seed in that season, waiting for the Lord to give the increase.

Sound familiar?

   Maybe you, who are choosing to show up and declare God’s word, come into agreement with scripture, meditate on who you are in Christ, do deliverance, capture those thoughts, remove that sin from your life, learning who God is, appropriate and apply God’s promises over your life, endeavoring to read His word daily, pray, fast, and worship through the storm are also tired, weary, and weeping with the weight of all you feel burdened by. If so, you aren’t alone. There is hope and beauty found even here. Because after we’re shown a weeping, trembling, desperate Sower…

   We’re shown the joyful celebration and song of the same Sower as they walk around with bundles of mature crop. Of blessings. Of answered prayers.

   Maybe you’re feeling weighed down by financial stress, or betrayal, trauma, fear, shame, loss of loved ones, disappointment, or grief. Whatever it is that causes us to feel burdened with sorrow too deep for words, we have the hope that nothing we do in faith is wasted. Every seed planted, God will make sure to give the increase. We can also trust that God will lead and guide is and give us the ability through His strength to endure the waiting and trials that come with our current season. We are not abandoned, without hope, lacking, or left to figure it our ourselves. In fact, God has provided us with The Holy Spirit as our helper to lead us back to The Throne room of Grace and into wisdom and discernment.
That answered prayer will come, and however it looks will ultimately lead us down paths of joy and a greater bountiful harvest. We can rest in knowing that God sees every single one of the seeds we cast into the ground. Every morning we wake up, exhausted but determined. Every piece of truth we utter. Every tear-filled cry and worship session…none are wasted.

Reflection
How can you rest today, knowing that God sees your heavy heart? And that in the right time, you too will be shouting songs of joy, carrying around answered prayers and blessings?