A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.
A bit about weeping
I’m a bit of a cry baby. If you have watched a movie with me, an episode of the Chosen, or stood near me in church during a song service, you may have seen me weeping. I am moved when I think of what God has done, and I weep when I realise what I hope God will yet do.
Psalms 126 is a song expressing a expansive breadth of emotion. I believe it is healthy to express emotion and even to aid its expression. Much has been said in Christian writing and comments online about manipulation of emotion and the lack of authenticity in worship or emotion in worship. I was one of those critics myself for a long time. But it is normal to “set the mood” or to play music for your workout that gets you moving to the beat. Football fans the world over rise to the call of a team song or cheer. We are not disingenuous when we knowingly allow our emotions to be triggered. Couples don’t do passionate couple things all the time, but they don’t have to be taught much to learn how to stimulate each other's passions. I’m just saying emotional responses have their place, and we somewhat control them with the things we say or do. And often we do that corporately or mutually. Shared emotion or passion bonds a community, a family or a couple together when it is real and mutual, even if it is stimulated through music, cheers, words, hugs or dancing. This can be joy or sorrow or even a mix.
I remember one Sunday a few months ago I was standing near Ronny, and I was deeply moved by the song we were singing. I found myself so happy to think that God had rescued me and brought me through a really hard time. But within a line or two of the song, it was evident to me that not all my family had such joy, and then I was full of hope, longing and sorrow. This mixed emotional state of joy, hope, and sorrow made me weep while singing and unable to sing some of the words but determined to at least mouth them and not give up. I looked over at Ronny and he was in a similar state. After the singing and preaching part of our meeting was over and we walked back together towards the time of talking, coffee drinking and encouraging one another, Ronny said to me that was a real deep time of worship (not exactly his words, they were in Dutch and I‘m probably translating in my mind at the time, but we knew with the hug, the look in each others’ eyes and tears still present we had been in the same place emotionally and we saw God at work in us and in others).
A little bit about exile
Exile is, in the case of the Jews, discipline. I have been disciplined by God. I had a very regular dose of discipline also by my father. And I believe he did this because he loved me and was trying to save me from my foolish self. Discipline, whether real exile or being sent to your room before getting a smack, is painful, probably even more painful than the smack.
God says He disciplines those He loves. He also says it is not going to feel nice.
“6 For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child." ...
11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.”
So much more needs to be said about understanding and accepting discipline from God. But if you love God, then you will know that you have been disciplined. And it is bittersweet. It is painful and often unwanted at the time and the reason for much complaining. But because we love God and then even more due to His love for us, we see He is just cleaning up the mess we made. We respect and love Him even more. So when discipline yields a fruit of righteousness, we rejoice, we are filled with joy and we love that we have this new stability and robustness, this freedom that allows us to work harder, be more fruitful and give more glory to our well-deserving Father.
Often discipline is about taking time out. Sacrificing something and learning to appreciate it more when we have it back. Seeing everything from a new perspective and living more generously, lighter, and freer. Don’t think the grace of fluid movement comes from anything but discipline.
Repeatedly Psalm 126 shows us the process of delayed gratification. Plant, wait, harvest.
Tears turn to joy.
“Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.”
Life works this way. Please friends, learn to be wise and accept with joy this process. I have said it time and time again. I will repeat myself to build my faith and to help build yours. Pain alerts us to make a change. Pain reminds us what we are doing and why we are doing it. We may have to push past the pain to get our second wind or we may need to rest because of the pain because we have gone too far. God used the pain of exile to enhance the joy of restoration. Joy comes in the morning. Joy follows exile. Look at Jesus' pattern and remember He needed no correction.
Let these words sink deeply into your soul.
“Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross”
Hebrews 12:2 NLT
Bible students look at the context. Do you see what chapter we are in?
Let's hear it in several translations:
“who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” KJV
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross” NIV
“who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross” AMP
“Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross” TPT
“Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. “ MSG
Jesus did, Jesus used joy in the future as a motivation to cope with pain in the present, and He did it because of God’s love for Him and His love for God and us.
This passion for restoration, victory and return with joy found in Psalm 126 all points to Jesus and you and me in Christ.
Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message (MSG)
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
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| Handwritten 126 |
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