What Is Being Sown In Our Lives?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMhAGYBYFr8
“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”
(Psalm 126:5–6, NIV)
I grew up on the farm, so I enjoy following the seasons of agriculture. Some of my friends have been seeding these last weeks, putting in their crop to raise feed for their animals. There is a miracle within this process of seeding – a seed dies in order to sprout, a seed is buried in the dark in order to reproduce many times over.
This is both a helpful and yet challenging picture for us when we are facing difficult circumstances. 1st Corinthians 10.13 remains an encouraging verse for me; God promises to not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to stand up against. He promises to strengthen us, giving us what we need to make Godly and wise choices in all aspects of life. I believe this principle goes beyond only facing temptation to all hurdles we face in life – God will not allow us to face what we cannot endure.
If you are presently facing large challenges in life, those that seem insurmountable, you are likely feeling as though this is an empty promise. Why do we have to face what we are? Where is God within them? How are we to release these stresses to God; where is the peace He promises? Often, we are left with more questions than answers; how is that helpful?
While some hurdles last a short time, others last much longer than we want. No matter the hurdle, it seems extra challenging and enduring, especially when we are in the middle of it. Even afterwards, we wonder why we had to face what we did.
But God is at work. In His sovereign and loving wisdom, He has a plan and is working it out on our behalf. I have some hard questions for Him that I wish I had answers to, but I also choose each day to trust Him. I trust He is sovereign; His sovereignty is not merely a stated belief but plays out in every day of our lives. I trust He is personal; He knows me and all that I face, He is present and cares deeply even within the hard parts of life.
I firmly believe that God is working in and through us both through the good and difficult parts of life. He is working in us through the challenges; we should not avoid them but see the opportunity in them. He is growing us, but like a seed, sometimes dark or “buried” times are necessary for us to sprout and bloom and reproduce.
Do we allow ourselves to draw closer to Father God within our challenging times? Too often we push Him away instead of seeing how He is coming to us. Are we open with others about what we are going through? Often, because of what we have gone through, opportunities to serve others in similar situations come up for us; God is giving us tools to serve both Him and others. In what ways do we persist in thanksgiving despite what it is we are going through? It takes a deliberate effort on our part to continually walk with Christ through these challenging times.
Take a moment now to name your hurdle. Describe your situation and feelings to God the Father, but turn it into thanksgiving, looking for the door God is opening for you. Look for someone to be in community with as you journey through the circumstances of life.