“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:5–6
Have you ever prayed for something for a long time and wondered if God was doing anything at all? Maybe you’ve been praying for a family member to come to faith, believing for healing, or asking the Lord to open a door that still seems firmly shut. You keep praying, you keep trusting, but nothing appears to be changing.
If you’ve ever felt that way, Psalm 126 has an encouraging message for you.
These verses remind us that God’s work often happens where our eyes cannot see it. Long before we see the harvest, He is already at work beneath the surface.
The psalm paints a simple picture. A farmer walks into his field carrying seed because he knows there will never be a harvest unless he first plants what he has. Once the seed leaves his hand, it disappears beneath the soil. For a while, the field looks exactly the same. Nothing seems to be happening. But beneath the ground, life has already begun.
The psalm also tells us that the farmer goes out weeping as he sows. I don’t believe these are tears of despair. They are the tears that often come with sacrifice. Once the seed has been planted, the farmer cannot take it back. He has done what God asked him to do, and now he must trust God to bring the increase.
Our walk with the Lord is often the same.
Sometimes God asks us to keep praying even though the answer hasn’t come yet. Sometimes He asks us to keep serving when we are tired, to keep giving when it costs us something, or to keep sharing the Good News when people don’t seem interested. We don’t keep going because we already see the fruit. We keep going because we trust the One who promised the harvest.
This is something we see again and again here in Israel.
God gives us many opportunities to sow seeds for His Kingdom. Sometimes it is through a Bible study, a conversation after a service, a prayer with someone who is searching, or simply walking alongside a person over time. Very often, we don’t see immediate results. But we have learned not to judge God’s work by what we can see in the moment.
Many of the testimonies we celebrate today began with a simple conversation months—or even years—earlier. Some people spend a long time reading the Scriptures before they begin asking questions about Yeshua. Others quietly wrestle with what they have heard before they are ready to take the next step. Again and again, we are reminded that God is working long before we see the harvest.
Over the years, I have learned that no seed planted for God’s Kingdom is ever wasted.
Every conversation, every prayer, every Bible study, every word of encouragement, and every act of obedience is a seed. We may not always see what God is doing, but He is always at work. In His perfect time, He opens hearts, strengthens faith, and brings the fruit that only He can produce.
Maybe today you feel like you have been sowing for a long time without seeing much fruit. Perhaps you have been praying for someone you love, faithfully serving in your congregation, or believing God for a breakthrough that still hasn’t come.
If that is where you are today, don’t lose heart.
Keep sowing the seeds God has placed in your hands. Keep praying. Keep serving. Keep loving people. Keep sharing His truth with grace and compassion. None of it is in vain because God is faithful to every promise He has made.
Psalm 126 ends with a wonderful promise. Those who keep sowing in faith will one day return with joy, carrying the harvest that God Himself has produced. Our responsibility is to sow faithfully. The harvest belongs to the Lord. As we continue to trust and obey Him, we can rest knowing that He is working, even when we cannot yet see it. And when His time comes, the tears of sowing will give way to the joy of reaping.
May the Lord encourage your heart this Shabbat and give you fresh strength to keep sowing. He is faithful, and in His perfect time, He will bring the harvest for His glory.
Shabbat Shalom,
Pastor Israel Pochtar