Daily Word: Reaping in Joy

Psalm 126:5 says: Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. (NKJV) This verse reminds us that we need to be a constant believer in hope, even while crying from sadness. In the midst of our suffereing, we must continue to trust in the character of God. God does not act in love, He is love. God does not perform acts of compassion and mercy, He is compassion and mercy. This is not just semantics; it is revealing a truth about who God is. He is love, compassion, mercy, justice, healing, deliverance, etc. Since He is all these things, we can trust in who He is to bring about those specific manifestations of His being. That is why we can reap joy after sowing tears.

On July 11, 1942, Etty Hillesum wrote the following: "I am filled with confidence, not that I shall succeed in worldly things, but that even when things go badly for me, I shall still find life good and worth living." Etty was a young woman in her mid-twenties living under Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. She wrote these words as her life as she knew it was collasping. In the face of horror, she found grace to believe that life was still good. Etty never lost her love of life. She died in the gas chambers in Auschwitz in 1943. However, she never gave up believing that life was good although she was living under pure evil. Etty understood the power of today's verse. She continued to trust in the God of creation, the one true God.

Today, no matter what you face, know that you can trust in the character and attributes of the one true God. He is our Father, our redeemer, our deliverer, and our salvation. Never allow circumstances to dictate what you believe. Instead, believe in spite of your circumstances. Truth always trumps facts. So even if your difficulties cause you to cry, you can still reap in joy.